New Delhi: Sachin Sarjerao Khilari claimed India’s 21st medal of the Paris 2024 Paralympics by winning a silver medal in the men’s shot put F46 event at Stade de France. Sachin, the reigning world champion, added a Paralympic silver to his trophy cabinet. Sachin also bagged gold in the 2023 Asian Para Games in China last year.
The 34-year-old Maharashtra athlete won the second-placed podium finish with an Asian record throw of 16.32m, which he hurled on his second attempt. In the process, Sachin bettered his own Asian record of 16.30m which he set during his gold-winning performance at the World Para-Athletics Championships in Japan in May.
Brute force on display, and this one was launched straight to the skies! 💪
Sachin Khilari’s throw lands #TeamIndia an all-important silver in Men’s Shot Put F46🫡#PlayBold #Cheer4Bharat #Paralympics #MadeOfBold pic.twitter.com/cqiKQTqKLF
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) September 4, 2024
Greg Stewart of Canada successfully defended his Tokyo title with a brilliant throw of 16.38m. Meanwhile, Luka Bakovic of Croatia clinched bronze with 16.27m.
This is now India’s 11th medal from para-athletics in the ongoing Games.
An inspirational journey
Born on 23rd October 1989 in a farmer’s family, Sachin has faced numerous challenges since his childhood. He lost his mother at a young age before suffering a devastating bicycle accident that crippled his left hand. The injury was so severe that even multiple surgeries failed to fully heal his hand because of gangrene and muscle atrophy.
But Sachin never gave up and his father played a huge role in overcoming the various obstacles and shaping his incredible journey.
While serving both parental roles for Sachin and his younger brother, he encouraged the former to accept his impairment and motivated him to excel in both physical and academic pursuits.
Sachin found his love for para sports in 2015 and won a gold medal two years later in the National Games in Jaipur. Under the guidance of coach Satayanarayana, Sachin improved his game and became a full-time athlete by 2019.
His sporting laurels include five gold medals in the National Games, two in the World Championships and one in the Asian Para Games.
Sachin has also excelled in academics, achieving notable success as a mechanical engineer. He works as a visiting faculty member at several institutions, helping students in their MPSC and UPSC exam preparations.
Sachin Khilari bettered his own Asian record of 16.30m to claim a silver medal in men’s shot put F46 event at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
