'Sweet Sacrifice And Sleepless Nights': Sumit Antil On Defending Paralympic Gold Despite Back Injury

Carrying a back injury for more than a year, history-making Indian javelin thrower Sumit Antil's path to Paralympic glory was paved with a 'sweet sacrifice' and several sleepless nights. The 26-year-old faced a tough choice in the build-up to the Paralympics -- give up his favourite sweets or put his career at risk due to rapid weight gain and a back injury that troubled him before the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou last year where he won a gold. On the advice of his physio, Antil grudgingly gave up sweets, followed a strict training regimen and shed around 12 kilograms in just two months.

His sacrifice paid off on Monday when the Sonepat-lad became the first Indian man and only the second Indian overall to defend a Paralympic title, clinching gold in the F64 category with a record throw of 70.59m.

This new mark bettered his previous Paralympic best of 68.55m set in Tokyo Paralympics three years ago.

"I've reduced around 10-12 kilos. My physio, Vipin Bhai, told me that the weight was putting pressure on my spine. So, I cut out sweets, which are my favourite, and focused on eating right," he revealed in a media interaction here.

Fixing his back by taking adequate rest is the first thing Antil will do after his return to India.

"I was not at 100 per cent. I had to take a painkiller before my throw, and even during training, I haven't been at my best. The first priority is to fix my back after we return to India because rest is crucial with the type of injury I have.

"With competitions so close, I haven't been able to rest properly and have constantly taken precautions to protect my back. I've been careful with every movement to avoid aggravating it further," he added.

He also thanked his coach (Arun Kumar) for always knowing