New Delhi: Vikas gave his all in a bid to see the Indian Tricolour raised during the medal ceremony at the Para World Athletics Championships at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday.
However, despite his best efforts in the men’s T47 Long Jump final, he finished sixth, according to a release from the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI).
The 23-year-old earned three additional attempts after a heartening 6.69m jump on his third try, which lifted him to sixth place. His teammate, Ajay Singh, was unable to surpass his season’s best of 6.31m and ended up 10th. Only the top eight athletes were allowed to continue in the competition.
Vikas showed remarkable determination, striving in his final jumps to breach the 7.00m mark for the first time in his career. He posted a series of jumps measuring 6.84m, 6.88m, and 6.96m, but it was not enough to move beyond sixth place. With a better countback, he could have claimed fifth over Serbia’s Nemanja Matijasevic. The bronze medal was won with a 7.19m jump.
Following a strong opening day, when India won a gold, a silver, and a bronze, Sunday proved disappointing for the home crowd.
Vikas, however, remained the last beacon of hope for the Indian contingent late into the evening. By the time of his final attempt, F57 Javelin throwers, T37 sprinters, and fellow long jumper Ajay Singh had all missed out on podium finishes.
In the men’s Javelin Throw F57, Praveen Kumar and Hem Chandra secured ninth and tenth positions with throws of 41.92m and 41.17m respectively. Sprinters Rakeshbhai Bhatt and Shreyansh Trivedi took pride in competing in the men’s 100m T37 race, where Brazilian Ricardo Gomes de Mendonca set a new Championship Record.
Indian results (Men):
- 100m T37: 7. Rakeshbhai Bhatt – 11.88 sec; 8. Shreyansh Trivedi – 12.18 sec
- Long Jump T47: 6. Vikas – 6.96m; 10. Ajay Singh – 6.31m
- Javelin Throw F57: 9. Praveen Kumar – 41.92m; 10. Hem Chandra – 41.17m
