Vinod's discus throw bronze on hold at Paralympics after protest over his disability classification
Tokyo, Aug 29: Left bed-ridden for close to 10 years after falling off a cliff, Indian discus thrower Vinod Kumar scripted an astonishing tale of resilience by clinching a bronze medal in the men's F52 event of the Paralympics but a protest has put his celebrations on hold for now.
The 41-year-old BSF man, whose Army man father was injured during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, produced a best throw of 19.91m to finish third behind Piotr Kosewicz (20.02m) of Poland and Velimir Sandor (19.98m) of Croatia.
However, the result has been challenged by some other competitors, who have objected to his classification in the F52 category. The grounds of the protest are not clear as the process was completed on August 22.
"Results of this event are currently under review due to classification observation in competition. The Victory Ceremony has been postponed to the evening session of 30th August," read a statement from the Games organisers.
F52 is for athletes with impaired muscle power, restricted range of movement, limb deficiency or leg length difference, with athletes competing in seated position with cervical cord injury, spinal cord injury, amputation, and functional disorder.
Para-athletes are classified depending on the type and extent of their disability. The classification system allows athletes to compete those with a similar level of ability.
The Haryana-athlete's performance was an Asian record and gave India its third medal of the ongoing edition, which happens to be his debut.
Vinod injured his legs while training after joining the BSF, falling off a cliff in Leh that left him bed-ridden for close to a decade during which he lost both his parents.
His condition improved around 2012 and his tryst with para-sports began after the 2016 Rio Games.
He began training at the Rohtak's Sports Authority of India centre and picked up a couple of national bronze medals, justifying the old adage that where there is a will, a way is not too far.
His first international outing happened in 2019 when he participated in the Paris Grand Prix before finishing fourth in the world championships the same year.
Bhavinaben Patel and Nishad Kumar had earlier won a silver each in women's singles table tennis class 4 and men's T47 high jump events respectively on Sunday.
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West Bengal exit polls: People’s Pulse projects TMC lead, others predict BJP surge
Kolkata: Exit polls for the West Bengal Assembly Election 2026 have shown different projections, with some surveys indicating a lead for the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), while others suggest an advantage for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
According to People’s Pulse, the TMC+ alliance is projected to win between 177 and 187 seats in the 294-member Assembly.
The BJP is estimated to secure between 95 and 110 seats, while the Left Front+ is predicted to win up to one seat. The Congress (INC) is likely to get between one and three seats, and others are projected to win between one and two seats.
Matrize projections indicate a different trend, with the BJP projected to win between 146 and 161 seats, crossing the majority mark of 148, with a vote share of 42.5 per cent. The TMC is estimated to win between 125 and 140 seats with a vote share of 40.8 per cent.
P-MARQ has also projected a BJP lead, estimating the party to win between 150 and 175 seats, while the TMC+ alliance is expected to secure between 118 and 138 seats. The same survey projects Congress to win between 2 and 6 seats.
Poll Diary estimates suggest the BJP may win between 142 and 171 seats, while the TMC could secure between 99 and 127 seats. Other parties are projected to win between 5 and 9 seats.
Chanakya Strategies has projected the BJP to win between 150 and 160 seats, while the TMC is estimated to get between 130 and 140 seats. Others are expected to secure between 6 and 10 seats, while Congress and Left are projected at zero.
ABP projections estimate the BJP to win between 146 and 161 seats, while the TMC is expected to secure between 125 and 140 seats. Others are projected to win between 6 and 10 seats.
Polls in the state were held in two phases on April 23 and 29, and the counting of votes is scheduled to take place on May 4.
