Sumit Antil Success Story: What did Sumit Antil do to win GOLD? He himself told the story of his struggle

Indian javelin thrower Sumit Antil: There is a long story of sacrifices behind India’s para javelin thrower Sumit Antil’s Paris Paralympic gold. Sumit had to avoid his favourite sweets due to the risk of rapid weight gain before the Paralympics. Apart from this, a back injury he suffered at the Hangzhou Para Asian Games last year was also troubling him.

New record of 70.59 meters

Sumit, who has been suffering from a back injury for more than a decade, gave up eating sweets on the advice of a physiotherapist and went on a strict diet. He lost 12 kg in two months. His hard work paid off when he became the second Indian athlete to retain the Paralympic title. He also set a new record of 70.59 meters in the Paralympic Games.

He said, ‘I lost 10 to 12 kg of weight. My physio Vipin bhai told me that the weight was putting pressure on my spine. So I stopped eating sweets, which I like very much. Apart from this, I focused on taking the right diet.’

Had to take painkillers before throwing

Sumit said, ‘I was not completely fit. I had to take painkillers before my throw. I was not in the best condition even during training. First of all, I have to get my back treated. I have not been able to rest properly. I played very carefully so that the injury does not become bigger.’

He said, ‘I also started Crossfit workouts. I have been with coach Arun Kumar for two years. He knows what I need and when. I have seen him staying awake at night and making strategies. I am lucky that I have such a team with me.’

Sumit said that people’s expectations had caused him sleepless nights, but now he is feeling relieved. He said, ‘I have not slept for the last three nights. I was nervous seeing people’s expectations. No one knew me at the Tokyo Paralympics, so there was not much pressure. I was sleeping peacefully, but the last three-four days here were stressful.’