Sandeep, Sumit hunt down world records

Sandeep Chaudhary won the gold in the men's javelin throw F64 category. (Dubai 2019 Local Organising Committee)

Para athletes Sandeep Chaudhary and Sumit Antil flew the flag high for India by setting new world records en route to a gold and silver on the second day of World Para Athletics Championships on Friday night.
There was no stopping Sandeep as he shattered the world record in the men's javelin throw F64 category at the Dubai Club for People of Determination.
The 23-year-old hurled the javelin to a distance of 66.18 metres on his second attempt to eclipse his own mark of 65.80 metres in the F44 category set in Grosseto, Italy, in June this year.
The F44 and F64 segments have been clubbed together at this event.
The F44 category athletes have leg amputations or reduced function in one or both legs, and they compete without a prosthesis.
The F64 category athletes have limb deficiency and leg length difference, and they compete with prosthesis.
Meanwhile, Sumit, who trains with Sandeep and is two years younger, too conjured a world best, with a throw at a distance of 62.88 metres.
The throw, on his second attempt, saw Sumit better his own record of 61.32 metres in the F64 category in Paris, France, this August.
The pair will now be primed for the Paralympics which takes place in Tokyo, Japan, in less than nine months.
"I'm very satisfied with my performance. It was also my personal best and a new world record in my category. The weather was a bit hot but the conditions were good for me," said Sandeep.
"He (Sumit) trains with me and he is also doing a good job. He made a new world record in his category and I made a world record in my category. It is a great and good news for India that we have two world records and two medals. I'm really happy that we made our country proud," he added.
Sandeep, who plans to indulge in some shopping at the Dubai Mall, revealed that he and Sumit will restart preparations for Tokyo after taking a few weeks off.
"Tokyo will be the main target for both of us and we will be preparing for that now," he said.
"Four events this year and won gold in all and Sumit got silver in all four of them. Our plan for Tokyo would be to maintain and continue our performance and win medals for the country," added Sandeep.
India have sent a 23-member team for the Championships which runs until November 15.
Meanwhile, China's Peng Zhou came up with a personal best to win gold in the Men's Long Jump T37 category.
Zhou jumped a distance of 6.23 metres on his fifth attempt, to crack the six-metre barrier for the first time. The 20-year-old's previous personal best had been 5.91 metres.
In the women's club throw F32 segment, Tunisian world record holder Maroua Ibrahmi took the gold. The 31-year-old was well short of her world record mark of 27.28 metres as she came up with a throw of 24.45 metres.
The UAE's Noura Al Ketbi finished fourth in the category, with a throw of 18.30 metres on her fourth attempt. Another Emirati Thekra Al Kaabi finished eighth.
Meanwhile, Finland's Leo Pekka Tahti extended his reign in the men's 100 metres T54, winning with a time of 13.97 seconds. The 36-year-old holds the world record of 13.63 seconds set in London in 2012.
james@khaleejtimes.com