New Delhi: India were delivered a seventh gold medal on Saturday at the Paris Paralympics 2024 after a dramatic turn of events in the men’s javelin throw F41 final event where Navdeep Singh’s silver medal got an upgrade. The gold medal was initially bagged by Iran’s Sadegh Beit Sayah but he was ultimately disqualified after the final event which led Navdeep to a historic gold for India at the Stade de France.
This is India’s first-ever gold in the men’s javelin F41 category. The 23-year-old para-athlete from Haryana had finished fourth at the Tokyo Paralympics three years back, and this time produced a personal best effort of 47.32 metres to pave his way to the top. The F41 category includes athletes of short stature. Navdeep originally ended with a silver after he bettered world record holder Sun Pengxiang of China with his throw.
The Chinese athlete who bagged a bronze (44.72m), ultimately finished with a silver, after Sayah was disqualified sometime after the end of the final which led Navdeep to the top spot, an unprecedented gold medal. Meanwhile, Iraq’s Nukhailawi Wildan claimed the bronze medal with an effort of 40.46 metres.
Navdeep started in the final event with a foul. He entered the event with a personal best of 44.29 metres and a season-best throw of 42.82 metres. In his second attempt, he threw the spear to 46.39 metres which got him to second place. But the medal-winning throw arrived in his third attempt, which also electrified the stadium.
With the monstrous 47.32 metre effort, Navdeep shattered the Paralympic record and took the lead but Sayah bettered him with a record-breaking effort of 47.64 metres in his fifth attempt. If it wasn’t for his disqualification, India had to settle for a silver but Navdeep was awarded the gold medal, owing to Sayah’s antics. What had actually happened? Let’s take a look.
Why was Sadegh Beit Sayah disqualified?
Iran’s Sadegh Beit Sayah was disqualified for repeatedly displaying an objectionable flag following the final event. He had managed to trump Navdeep on the field with a new Paralympic record of 47.64 metres, his penultimate throw but it was his antics, that cost him the gold. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) rules clearly bar athletes from making any political gestures at any event, which led Sayah out of the final race for unsporting/improper conduct.
Iranian Javelinist Beit Sayah stripped of his gold medal for showing a shia “Ya Hussein” flag, a slogan used to justify aggression against Muslims.pic.twitter.com/SBblx4DqJK
— ☪️ Akıncı’nın gece görüşlü kamerası (@YavuzSelim23_1) September 8, 2024
The flag that he unfurled was of Jihad which is used by ISIS and other terrorist organisations. But this wasn’t the only incident that led to his disqualification. He first received a yellow card from the referee for making a celebratory cheer that was found to be unsportsmanlike. A yellow card is a warning, which still made him eligible for a gold but the flag incident threw him out of the event.
The gold medal of Sadegh Beit Sayah was disqualified due to two incidents during the competition:
* Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Beit Sayah made a celebratory cheer that the referee interpreted as unsportsmanlike. This resulted in a yellow card.
* Display of the Flag: Beit Sayah… pic.twitter.com/8Oa8w1WFqX
— Professor CR (@TheProfessorCR) September 8, 2024
The Hazrat Umm al-Banin flag led to a second yellow card and an ultimate disqualification. He defended his gesture after the event saying that he is disappointed with the decision and that the cheer was a common practice among the athletes and that he had previously displayed the same flag without any issues at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Navdeep Singh, who initially won a silver medal in men’s javelin F41 event, saw it getting upgraded to a gold after gold-medallist Sadegh Beit Sayah of Iran was disqualified from the Paris Paralympics 2024 final. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
