Paris Paralympics 2024: India’s Sachin Khilari creates history,  brings India medal in shot put after 40 years

New Delhi| India’s Sachin Khilari has won the silver medal in the men’s shot put F46 category on day 7 at the Paris Paralympics. This is the first medal of the day. With winning this silver medal, Sachin has become the first Indian male athlete to win a Paralympic shot-put medal in 40 years. Earlier in 1984, India got its first medal in Men’s Shotput. With this medal of Sachin, India’s medal count has reached 21. Sachin finished second with an Asian record throw of 16.32 metres. Canada’s Greg Stewart won the gold medal. Croatia’s Luka Bakovic won the bronze medal. Sachin had earlier won the gold medal at the World Para Athletics Championships 2024 with an Asian record.

The 34-year-old athlete had the best performance in his second attempt, breaking his own Asian record of 16.30 metres. He made this record while winning the gold medal in the World Para-Athletics Championship held in Japan in May 2024. Khilari’s silver medal is the 11th medal in para-athletics in the current Para Games. He also won the gold medal in the Asian Para Games held in China last year. The F46 category is for athletes who have weakness in their hand, weak mussels, or decreased hand movement. In this, athletes compete standing.

Sachin Khilari is only the third Indian athlete in the history of Paralympics to win a medal in the shot put. Earlier in 1984, Joginder Singh Bedi won the bronze medal and female athlete Deepa Malik won at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.