Asian Para Games 2018: Ekta Bhyan Wins Gold In Club Throw

Para athlete Ekta Bhyan created history on Tuesday as she clinched India’s fourth gold at the Asian Para Games in Jakarta. She topped in the women’s club throw event. Ekta scored her best throw in her fourth attempt, 16.02m, winning the F32/51 event. The category features athletes with significant impairment in hand function. Ekta was ahead of UAE’s Alkaabi Thekra, who threw 15.75m.

With this win, the para-athlete becomes the second woman to have won a gold for India in the Para Asian Games. She also became the first female gold medallist for Haryana in the Para Asian Games

Earlier this year, Ekta earned India two medals — gold and bronze — in club throw and discus throw at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Tunisia. She is also backed with a gold in the Indian Open Para Athletics Championship this year.

#EktaBhyan clinches a GOLD medal in Club Throw event with 16.02m throw in her fourth attempt at the #AsianParaGames2018 . pic.twitter.com/KxYC1byzSB

— ALL INDIA RADIO आकाशवाणी (@AkashvaniAIR) October 9, 2018

“I was confident of winning the gold. I would like to dedicate this award to my parents because it was their unconditional love and support over the years that kept me going,” Ekta told TOI.

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The Haryana civil services officer met with an accident in 2003 that badly damaged her spinal cord, leaving her paralysed from waist down. “An overloaded truck of vegetables fell on our stationary car in the parking lot. I met with spinal cord injury in the accident, resulting in shoulder down paralysis, impacting both lower limbs and partial paralysis in upper limbs. Since then (2003), I have been on wheelchair,” the 33-year-old told SheThePeople.TV.

Our FOURTH GOLD at @asianpg2018!!

In a superb show of grit and talent @bhyanekta, bags a GOLD in the women's club throw F32/51 event with her power packed throw of 16.02m. With 4 Golds, this is ALREADY our BEST EVER HAUL at #ASIANPARAGAMES! #KheloIndia

— Col Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) October 9, 2018

“I am confident that I will not return empty-handed from Tokyo,” the focused athlete asserted, talking about her preparations for the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020. “The other dream that I have is to improve the infrastructure for para-sports in our country. We don’t have a para-athlete friendly sporting culture in our country. It is a big concern; but I am sure, we will overcome these hurdles in the coming years if we put in concerted efforts,” she added.

Congrats Ekta!

Image Credit: Ekta

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