High jumper Shailesh opens India''s account with gold at World Para Athletics C''ships
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New Delhi (PTI): Shailesh Kumar and Varun Singh Bhati opened hosts India's account at the World Para Athletics Championships, winning the gold and bronze medals respectively in the men's high jump T63 event here on Saturday.
The 25-year-old Shailesh shattered the Championship record and Asian record with a personal best effort of 1.91m in the T42 category to stand atop the podium.
Former Para Asian Games medallist Bhati clinched the bronze while reigning Olympic champion USA's Ezra Frech took home the silver.
Bhatti and Frech both finished with a best clearance of 1.85m but the American beat the Indian on count-back.
Rahul, the third Indian in fray, finished fourth with a personal best effort of 1.78m.
Shailesh, Bhati and Rahul are T42 athletes who have single above-the-knee amputations or a disability that is comparable.
T63 classification is for athletes with single through knee or above knee limb deficiency.
T63 and T42 athletes can be combined in a single event, and the process was followed on Saturday.
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Two girls injured in separate wolf attacks in UP's Bahraich
Bahraich (UP) (PTI): Two minor girls were injured in separate incidents of wolf attacks in the Bahraich district, forest department officials said on Saturday.
In the first incident on Friday, Anushka Nishad (5), daughter of Baliram from Mallahanpurwa village, was sleeping alone inside her house when a wolf entered and tried to carry her away, they said.
Hearing her screams, family members and villagers rushed to the spot. The wolf left the child, hearing the commotion, and ran towards the fields. The girl sustained minor injuries from the animal's teeth, the officials said.
Divisional Forest Officer Ram Singh Yadav described the attack as deliberate and cleverly planned, as it occurred precisely when Anushka's mother went out for a few moments.
On the same day, Nancy (4), daughter of Kamlesh Yadav, was playing outside her house in Baburi Tola village when a wolf suddenly attacked and dragged her away.
Villagers raised an alarm, and the wolf released the child and ran towards the sugarcane fields. The injured child was sent to the Kaiserganj Community Health Centre for treatment.
Divisional Forest Officer Ram Singh Yadav told reporters that both attacks involved wolves, adding that the entire area is plagued by the animal's activity.
Since September 9, such attacks in the Bahraich district have claimed 10 lives, including eight children and an elderly couple, and injured dozens of people, the officials said.
District Magistrate Akshay Tripathi met the families of the victims on Friday and consoled them.
