Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia rewrote his own world record as he punched his ticket for the Tokyo Paralympics during a national selection trial here.
The 40-year-old, who has won two gold medals in the men’s F46 category at the Paralympics, sent the spear to a distance of 65.71m during the trials here on Wednesday.
“Today at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi, I qualified for the Tokyo Paralympics by setting a new world record of 65.71, breaking my older record of 63.97 [set at Rion in 2016] in a qualifying event.
Family support
“This was possible because of my family’s support, and the efforts of my coach Sunil Tanwar and fitness trainer Lakshya Batra,” Jhajharia tweeted in Hindi.
Jhajharia won at the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games, setting a new world record of 62.15m, and repeated the feat 12 years later at Rio edition bettering his own record with a throw of 63.97m to become the first Indian to clinch two gold medals at the Paralympics.
Asian Para Games gold medallists Amit Kumar Saroha and Sandeep Chaudhary have also qualified for the Tokyo Games.
Two-time Paralympian Saroha will represent the country in the F51 category in discus and club throw, while Chaudhary will be competing in the F44 javelin throw event at the Games to be held from August 24 to September 5.
India has been granted 24 slots and the final team list will be announced by the Paralympic Committee of India on Friday
