Paralympic champs return to hero's welcome
New Delhi (PTI): Swarmed by hundreds of supporters, garlanded and fed sweets, India's Paralympic medal-winners returned to a jubilant welcome on Tuesday after securing an unprecedented haul of 29 medals at the just-concluded Games in Paris.
There was the customary dhol and euphoric chants hailing them as the athletes made their way out of the Indira Gandhi International Airport this morning. Supporters, sports administrators and families of the athletes lined up to show their appreciation for the contingent.
"Thank you so much for this grand welcome," javelin thrower Sumit Antil told PTI.
He clinched a second successive gold in the F64 category by breaking his own Games record with a throw of 70.59m.
The reigning world champion became the second Indian after shooter Avani Lekhara to defend the Paralympics title.
Avani had won gold in women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 event in Paris after winning a yellow metal in the same event in the Tokyo Games. She returned to the country last week after completing her events.
Antil lost his left leg below the knee after he was involved in a motorbike accident in 2015. He was an able-bodied wrestler before his accident which led to the amputation of his leg below the knee.
"When you prepare well, you automatically feel confident. I will try to breach the 75m mark soon. I have not had tea for a few days, I would like to have tea with my family," Antil said.
Archer Harvinder Singh, who is also pursuing a Ph.D in economics from Punjab University, was overwhelmed by the appreciation. He has impaired legs owing to the side effects of a dengue treatment he received as a toddler.
He became the first Indian archer to win gold in Paralympics after becoming the country's first medallist in the sport three years ago in Tokyo with a bronze.
"I like to keep myself busy. It helps my focus, the mind wanders less. Any person who is distressed or defeated can take inspiration from para-athletes," he said even as supporters showered flower petals on him and fellow archer Sheetal Devi.
Sheetal, who was born without arms, won the mixed team bronze with Rakesh Kumar after missing an individual medal by a whisker.
"I have had a great experience. I am very happy that India won two medals in archery. We have got good support and that's why we have won so many medals," she said referring to India's record overall haul because of which the country ended 18th in the medal standings.
Another Javelin thrower Navdeep, who competes in the F41 classification owing to his short stature, was lifted by his supporters as he celebrated with them. Navdeep won the gold medal with a personal best of 47.32m.
India had sent a contingent of 84 athletes, the country's largest ever for the Games. Of the total 29 medals, seven are gold, which is also a first for the country.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
