‘Sweet’ sacrifice and sleepless nights: Sumit Antil on defending Paralympic gold despite back injury

Sumit Antil's Paralympic journey, marked by sacrifice and dedication, culminates in a historic gold medal win.

Carrying a back injury for more than a year, history-making Indian javelin thrower Sumit Antil's path to Paralympic glory was paved with a 'sweet sacrifice' and several sleepless nights.

The 26-year-old faced a tough choice in the build-up to the Paralympics — give up his favourite sweets or put his career at risk due to rapid weight gain and a back injury that troubled him before the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou last year where he won a gold.

On the advice of his physio, Antil grudgingly gave up sweets, followed a strict training regimen and shed around 12 kilograms in just two months.

His sacrifice paid off on Monday when the Sonepat-lad became the first Indian man and only the second Indian overall to defend a Paralympic title, clinching gold in the F64 category with a record throw of 70.59m.

This new mark bettered his previous Paralympic best of 68.55m set in Tokyo Paralympics three years ago.

"I've reduced around 10-12 kilos. My physio, Vipin Bhai, told me that the weight was putting pressure on my spine. So, I cut out sweets, which are my favourite, and focused on eating right," he revealed in a media interaction here.

Fixing his back by taking adequate rest is the first thing Antil will do after his return to India.