Haney, Simran hog the spotlight
Simran from Uttar Pradesh, who won the women's 10mm T12, T13 categories on Friday, claimed the women's 200m T12 category with a timing of 24.80s.
Arunachal Pradesh's Tingong Wangpan Nokkai (27.80s) won the men's 200m T35.
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Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
We need more para meets: Simran
Bengaluru: For para-athlete Simran Sharma , the podium is more than just a place of celebration — it's a symbol of resilience, sacrifice and untapped potential. Born prematurely with visual impairment, the athlete from Ghaziabad, battled systemic challenges, limited opportunities and social stigma to script a story of unwavering determination. While she cherishes the pride of representing her country on the international stage, her voice carries a deeper appeal — for more domestic para-athletics meets. It was just another day at office on Saturday as Simran clinched gold in the women's 200m run (T12) with a timing of 24.8s at the 7th Indian Open Para Athletics International Championship at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium. But the Paris paralympic bronze-medallist rued missing out on breaking the Asian record. Speaking to TOI, the 25-year-old, who began racing professionally in 2018, said, "I wanted to break the Asian record but missed out!" You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru Encouraged by a select few to take up the sport professionally, Simran like several other para-athletes had to battle past the negativity to thrive as a sportsperson. "At the start, I was unsure if I could do it. I was a girl and since I had problems with my eyes, people, including many in my family would tease me and call me names. I was scared for years. But in life, if 90% of people are negative, there's that 10% who always have your back and encourage you to go for it. I concentrated on that 10%," recalled the Paralympian. "Moreover, there are so many people working behind the scenes to help me succeed. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Descoperă BMW X5 Legacy Limited Edition. Cu o rată fixă de 789€ + TVA/ lună şi costurile de întreţinere incluse. Vezi oferta Undo Credit must be given to them. They are the real pillars of success, because no one can do it alone. My husband (& coach) feels more pressure. More than me, they are unanswerable for my failure," said the Asian para games medallist. Eight years into the sport, Simran rued the lack of competition in the country. "Athletes outside are regularly taking part in meets and that is a place where we are lagging. We need more meets in India. In athletics you at least have a few trials to qualify, but in para athletics, we get only one chance for the final trial. There's nothing like – we can try next time for us. It rained here yesterday (Friday), and it hampered the chance for many to qualify for the Worlds," said Simran, who will next take to the track during the World Championships. Clear of her goals, Simran said, "My goal is to get a gold medal for my country, and I want to start at the Worlds in Delhi. "Of course, the ultimate goal is the Olympics. LA is in my heart, mind and dreams! I was happy with my bronze in Paris but not satisfied. In LA, I will run for only gold," signed off a determined Simran.
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First Post
5 days ago
- First Post
Uttar Pradesh's Simran, Preethi Pal, Haryana's Dharambir shine on final day of Indian Open Para-Athletics Championship
As the curtains fell on the two-day championship, the event stood out not only as a selection ground for the upcoming New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships but also as a celebration of talent, resilience, and sporting spirit. read more The final day of the 7th Indian Open Para Athletics Championship concluded with high-octane performances and inspirational displays of determination at the iconic Shree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. Over 260 para-athletes from across the country competed with passion and pride across multiple track and field events, supported by sponsors including Balmer Lawrie, Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), Playable by HDFC Ergo, and Leonard Cheshire Disability. Among the standout athletes of the day was Simran from Uttar Pradesh, who once again impressed by winning gold in the Women's 200m T12 category, clocking an excellent time of 24.80 seconds. She was followed by Damor Tejal Amaraji of Gujarat, who claimed silver with 25.80 seconds, and Odisha's Janaki Oram, who took bronze with a time of 30.00 seconds. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In the Women's 200m T35, Preethi Pal from Uttar Pradesh continued her golden run with a first-place finish in 31.40 seconds. Avani from Haryana won silver with 44.20 seconds, and Sunetra from Rajasthan clinched bronze with a time of 58.50 seconds. The field events witnessed dominance from Haryana in the Men's Club Throw F32 & F51, where Dharambir claimed gold with a best of 30.37 meters, edging past Pranav Soorma and Amit Kumar, who completed a clean sweep for the state. In the Men's Discus Throw F37, Haryana's Haney threw a stunning 53.81 meters for gold, while Bhavishay (Haryana) and Boby (Delhi) completed the podium. Track events saw exceptional speed from Arunachal Pradesh's Tingong Wangpan Nokkai, who won the Men's 200m T35 in 27.80 seconds, just ahead of Vinay from Haryana and Abhishek Babasa Jadhav of Maharashtra. The Men's 200m T44 was won by Haryana's Sandeep with a time of 24.50 seconds, followed by Vinay Kumar Lal from Chandigarh and Rahul Saini from Haryana. In the Men's Long Jump T42 & T63, Rajasthan's Mahendra Gurjar took gold with a leap of 5.73 meters, while Solairaj Dharamraj of SSCB soared to 7.32 meters to win the T44 & T64 division. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Gujarat's Bhavanaben Chaudhary Ajabaji claimed top honours in the Men's Javelin Throw F12, F13 & F46, followed by Amisha Rawat (Uttarakhand) and Kipa Mero Kipa Tara (Arunachal Pradesh). On the women's side, Keerthika Jayachandran of Tamil Nadu dominated the Javelin F33–F54, winning gold. Dipika Rani (Uttar Pradesh) won silver and Bhagyashri Madhavrao Jadav (Maharashtra) took bronze. Keerthika also secured bronze in the Women's Discus Throw F51–F54, where Delhi's Suvarna Raj won gold and Haryana's Kanchan Lakhani took silver. In Javelin F55 & F56, Suchitra Parida from Odisha earned gold, Garima Joshi of Uttarakhand took silver, and Fatima Khatoon of Uttar Pradesh claimed bronze. The Women's Shot Put F57 was won by Sharmila from Haryana with a powerful 9.77 meters, followed by Shilpa Kanchugarkoppalu (Karnataka) and Mir Sadika Sikandar (Gujarat). Closing out the day, Odisha's Jayanti Behera blazed through the Women's 200m T37, T46 & T47, winning gold in 27.90 seconds. Bhavani Valasamgari (Andhra Pradesh) won silver in 29.30 seconds, and Mafi from Haryana took bronze in 31.10 seconds. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As the curtains fell on the two-day championship, the event stood out not only as a selection ground for the upcoming New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships but also as a celebration of talent, resilience, and sporting spirit. With record performances, new talents, and consistent champions, Indian para athletics is firmly on the rise.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- The Hindu
Practice makes it perfect for Preethi
A youngster from Uttar Pradesh who had weak and irregular leg posture at birth now sprints past the finish line on the globe's biggest stages. Para athlete Preethi Pal, affected by cerebral palsy, overcame all odds to specialise in the women's T35 sprint category. 'I never thought I was weak in any way. That's when an athlete can give their 100 percent,' she told The Hindu on the sidelines of the 7th Indian Open para athletics championship here on Saturday. Under coach Gajendra Singh, Preethi climbed through national and international ranks. Her career highlight came when she won bronze medals in the women's 100m and 200m events in the Paris Paralympics last year. She became the first Indian woman to to win two medals in track and field events at the Paralympic Games. 'I never thought I would win medals in the Paralympics. I just wanted to give my personal best. But now, I will try my very best to change the colour of my medals,' Preethi said. In the 7th Indian Open para athletics championships held here over the last two days, she clinched gold in the T35 women's 100m, clocking 15.00s. On Saturday, the 24-year-old took the T35 200m title with a timing 31.40s, defeating her nearest rival by almost 13 seconds. 'Youngsters should never underestimate themselves. If you practice hard, you can run fast,' Preethi said.
