Chennai, Feb 20 : Haryana emerged as the overall champion of the 23rd National Paralympic Athletics Championship, securing an impressive tally of 49 gold, 32 silver, and 25 bronze medals. Tamil Nadu, the host state, finished second with 17 gold, 18 silver, and 12 bronze while Uttar Pradesh claimed the third position with 14 gold, 17 silver, and 11 bronze medals.

Rajasthan finished fourth with 13 gold, 22 silver and 26 bronze while Maharashtra finished fifth with 11 gold, three silver and 13 bronze. The championship, held in Tamil Nadu from February 18 to 20, witnessed exceptional performances by para-athletes from across the country.

The closing ceremony was graced by Lt Gen. Karanbir Singh Brar as the chief guest. Several prominent dignitaries from the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) were also in attendance, including Chandrasekhar (vice president, PCI), Sathya Narayanan (chief coach, PCI), Sathya Parkash Sangwan (vice-president, PCI), Jayawant Gundu Hamanawar (secretary general, PCI), and Sunil Pradhan (treasurer, PCI)

On the final day of the competition, athletes delivered remarkable performances across multiple disciplines. The discus throw events saw strong competition, with Pradeep Kumar from SSCB clinching gold in the F62/F64 category with a throw of 44.00m while Rakesh, also from SSCB, dominated the F42/F43/F44 category with a winning distance of 49.52m.

Haryana's Devender Kumar secured silver in the event with a throw of 49.01m, closely followed by Shubham Dhull, who took bronze with 46.23m. In the women's events, Priyanka Sharma of Delhi sprinted to victory in the 200m T35/T36/T37 final, finishing in 38.11 seconds. Karnataka's Harshita Tater and Chandigarh's Babanpreet Kaur secured silver and bronze, respectively.

Haryana's Ekta Bhyan, the reigning world champion, continued her dominance in the club throw F32/F51 event, winning gold with a distance of 20.14m. Rajasthan's Durga Gahlot claimed silver, while Geeta Rani of Haryana secured bronze.

The men's discus throw F37 event saw an intense contest, with Haryana's Bhavishay taking the gold with a throw of 44.27m, followed closely by his state mate Haney, who secured silver with 44.13m. Ankit, also from Haryana, finished with bronze. Dharambir, another standout performer from Haryana, took gold in the men's discus throw F51 event with a best attempt of 10.91m while Uttar Pradesh's Ram Ratan Singh and Tamil Nadu's Alexander Mani settled for silver and bronze, respectively.

The endurance events also brought thrilling moments, particularly in the men's 5000m races. Rajasthan's Rajesh Yadav triumphed in the T13 category, clocking 16:26.75s while Karnataka's Sharath M.S. took gold in the T12 category with a time of 15:50.49s. Athletes from West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi also put up strong performances in the long-distance events.

The championship, organised by the Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority and the Tamil Nadu Paralympic Sports Association, witnessed participation from 1,476 para-athletes representing 30 states and union territories, competing across 155 events.

Tamil Nadu fielded a contingent of 185 athletes, making it one of the largest representations in the tournament. The event served as a testament to the determination, strength, and sporting excellence of India's para-athletes, setting the stage for future international competitions.

/IANS