Sumit Antil Chases 75m: Para Javelin Star Working On Everything To Reach Historic Mark

With an easy run-up and a few seats right in front of him occupied, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium felt a little alive, despite the usual hush of an almost empty venue. Friends and fellow para athletes cheered in Haryanvi, making it clear that reigning World and Paralympic champion javelin thrower Sumit Antil was about to take his first throw.

Calm and collected, Sumit launched a best throw of 69.25m, sealing gold at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix. He was the highlight of Day 2, as the Men’s Javelin Throw F43/F44/F64 saw him lead an all-Indian podium, with Pushpendra Singh taking silver at 56.91m and Poonam Ram clinching bronze with 49.48m.

The New Delhi WPA Grand Prix was almost a walk in the park for him, but what’s next for a para athlete who has already completed a golden slam in javelin throw, claiming all major titles and setting multiple records?

"75m," Sumit said, a mark no para javelin thrower has ever reached in the history of para athletics.

“It’s been two years since I’ve thrown beyond 73m. Lately, I’ve been around 71 or 72m, and at times it’s a little frustrating. This year, my goal is the 75m mark. I honestly don’t know exactly what it will take, since no one has done it before,” he said.

"But I’m working on everything, sharpening my technique, building strength, improving overall power, and making small changes wherever needed. We’re taking it step by step, and I hope to reach it soon,” he added.

Sumit is currently in the loading phase and kicked off his season at the Dubai Grand Prix last month, where he threw 68.26m to win gold.

He plans to do some peaking at the Nottwil Grand Prix ahead of the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, scheduled from October 18 to 24, though he noted that this will depend on several factors, including the weather and how his body responds at the time.

“The team keeps changing, but we’ll try to get a long throw in before the Asian Games. After the World Championship, we focused on both technique and strength training,” Sumit said.

He also plans to participate in as many tournaments as possible this season. “I have several international events lined up. Right now, I’m in the loading phase and wasn’t expecting a 69m throw here. My main focus this year is the Asian Para Games, and I want to peak just before that. My next target is to register a strong throw at the Nottwil Grand Prix in May,” he added.

Last year at the World Para Athletics Championships 2025, Sumit won gold at this very stadium in front of a home crowd and celebrated with dhol and bhangra alongside his family and friends. Even Neeraj Chopra and Sachin Yadav came to see him throw at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

That’s how he marks his big milestones. But when it comes to taking a break after achieving them, he takes only a short one.

“After the World Championships, we didn’t take a long break. My team and I were back on track after just 15 days. I’ve been working on the finer aspects of my technique, like developing a more powerful run-up, and right now we’re doing most things correctly,” Sumit said.

“I try to take as few breaks as possible. Whenever I win a medal, I leave it behind and focus on the next tournament. My goal is to keep chasing my dream. We’re not changing the technique much because we know it’s working well. My body is good, and I’m just waiting for a day when the conditions are perfect, that’s very important for a big throw.”

Unlike his idol, Neeraj Chopra, who mostly trains abroad, Sumit prefers preparing in his hometown of Sonipat.

Explaining the reason, he said, “I train in my hometown at SAI Sonipat. All the facilities there are at an international level. I have trained abroad as well, but it doesn’t suit me. Food is a major issue and so is the environment. It’s fun to train among our own people.”

He added, “SAI Sonipat is very good, with almost all the facilities for elite athletes, including a big sports science lab. We can go abroad for three or four days, but we try to stay in one place and train.”

Sumit has been on a winning streak, remaining undefeated since the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and claiming victory in every tournament he has competed in while using the same running blade. “I changed my blade for the Tokyo Paralympics after the 2019 World Championships, where I settled for silver, and I’ve been using the same one ever since,” he said.