Paris Paralympics 2024: Dharambir, Pranav Soorma achieve a historic one-two in men’s club throw F51 final

Indian track and field para-athletes continued to flourish at Stade de France in the ongoing Paris Paralympics with Dharambir and Pranav Soorma completing a historic one-two in the men’s club throw F51 category by winning gold and silver respectively in the final.

Dharambir won India’s second gold in athletics and fifth overall, matching their haul in the Tokyo Games three years ago, with a throw of 34.92 metres in his fifth attempt. The 35-year-old from Sonipat had registered a 31.59m throw in his only other legal attempt.

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Soorma, on the other hand, won silver with a best effort of 34.59m in his very first attempt to take India’s medal count in the ongoing Games to 24 — their best ever in Paralympic history, five more than what they had managed in Tokyo 2020.

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The 29-year-old from Faridabad who had won gold in the Asian Para-Games in Hangzhou last year while setting an event record, breached the 34-metre mark two more times (34.19m and 34.50m) while his remaining legal attempts were above 33 metres (33.90m and 33.70m). Only one of his attempts was a foul.

Serbia’s Zelijko Dimitrijevic won bronze with a throw of 34.18 metres in his third attempt, becoming the only competitor besides Dharambir and Soorma to breach the 34-metre mark. He would then breach 33 metres (33.70m) in his fourth attempt and registered three 32-metre throws (32.70m, 32.91m and 32.46m).

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Amit Saroha was the third Indian competitor, but was nowhere close to helping the country achieve a complete sweep of the podium as he finished a disappointing last among 10 competitors with a best throw of 23.96m in his fourth attempts — one of his two legal attempts on Wednesday evening.

To make matters worse, he was awarded a yellow card — given to athletes for improper behaviour that causes the start of an event to be awarded. Yellow cards act as a final warning to an athlete, and are followed by red and black cards, the punishment of which is a lot more severe.

The F51 club throw event is for athletes who have movement affected to a high degree in the trunk, legs and hands. All the competitors compete while seated and rely on their shoulders and arm to generate power.

From paralysis to Paralympic glory

Dharambir faced a life-altering accident when a misjudged dive into a canal left him paralyzed from the waist down. Para-sports gave him a new direction in life when he was introduced to it by fellow para-athlete Saroha.

Within two years, Dharambir qualified for the 2016 Rio Paralympics, marking the beginning of a successful career. He has since earned multiple medals for India, including a silver at the 2022 Asian Para Games.

A cricket and roller hockey enthusiast, Soorma too was just another teenager when a cement sheet fell on his head when he was 16, leaving him paralyzed after causing a severe spinal cord injury.

Support of his family and a positive mindset helped him to turn to meditation and academics, where he excelled with 91.2 per cent in his 12th board exams. He then pursued a postgraduate degree from the Delhi School of Economics and secured a job as an Assistant Manager at the Bank of Baroda.

Pranav rediscovered his love for sports through para-athletics and soon received success as he won a silver medal at the 2019 Beijing Grand Prix, a gold medal at the Serbia Open 2023, and both gold and silver medals at the Tunisia Grand Prix 2022.

He also produced a record-setting throw at the Asian Para Games 2023, where he won gold in the men’s club throw F51 event.