In his debut season, the shotput thrower made India proud with a medal
India has already beat its previous record of 19 medals won in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, and the nation has shown no sign of settling for less. The first medal of Day 7, a silver, went to Sachin Sarjerao Khilari, India’s rising para-athlete in the F46 shotput category. The achievement is undoubtedly phenomenal, given that this is Khilari’s debut season at the Paralympics.
🇮🇳🥈 𝗦𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗡 𝗛𝗜𝗧𝗦 𝗦𝗜𝗟𝗩𝗘𝗥! Many congratulations to Sachin Sarjerao Khilari on securing his first-ever Paralympic silver medal.
— Sportwalk Media (@sportwalkmedia) September 4, 2024
🙌 He becomes the first Indian male shot putter to win a Paralympic medal in 30 years.
👉 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 @sportwalkmedia 𝗳𝗼𝗿… pic.twitter.com/NBb2G19jEq
Canada’s Greg Stewart took first place with a throw of 16.38 metres, Khilari took second with a throw of 16.32 metres, and Croatia’s Luka Bakovic earned third place with a throw of 16.27 metres.
Born on October 23, 1989, the 34-year-old was only an 11-year-old kid when he suffered a grievous hand injury that marred his childhood. Fondly called Bapu by his friends, despite his disability, Khilari took up javelin during school, but in 2019, a shoulder injury stopped him from competing at the highest level.
Athletics, #ParisParalympics: It is a well earned silver medal for Sachin Khilari in the men's F46 Shot Put as he recorded an AR throw of 16.32m today..
— Vishank Razdan (@VishankRazdan) September 4, 2024
Very well done Sachin.. Many congratulations..👏🇮🇳🥈
(Gut feeling kharab ho gya.. Gut pe barosa karna bhi nahi chahiye😏) pic.twitter.com/5wUwpTCTd7
That is when national coach Satya Narayana showed him the path of shotput, a sport that now defines his life. The transition was never going to be easy, but his natural strength and disciplined lifestyle helped him quickly adapt to the minutiae of the sport.
Within four years of picking up the shotput, in 2022, Khilari left his mark on the international stage when he won a gold medal in the F46 category at the Asian Para Games. The following year, in 2023, Khilari showcased his consistency by winning a gold medal in the World Championship in Paris. 2024 further witnessed him dominating the stage as he won another gold at the World Championship in Kobe, and his throw of 16.03 metres helped him set a new Asian record.
Silver Stunner! 🥈🇮🇳
— Nikky (@Nikkykmk) September 4, 2024
Sachin Khilari smashes the Asian record with a phenomenal 16.32m throw in Men’s Shot Put F46 at #ParalympicGamesParis2024! 🔥 👈 pic.twitter.com/tL7yRQdLi0
Although he has an educational background in mechanical engineering, Sachin’s dream is to represent India at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, even though four years later, he will be 38, an age when athletes often think of retiring. Sachin trains 30 hours a week, but now that he has won a silver medal, the next four years could see him working even harder, as his ultimate dream is to grab gold for India. Post 2028, Khilari hopes to become a coach and guide budding para-athletes to glory.
🇮🇳😓 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝘀! It was a good effort from Mohd Yasser and Rohit Kumar but they unfortunately missed out on securing a medal to their name as they finished outside the top 3.
— Sportwalk Media (@sportwalkmedia) September 4, 2024
- Mohd Yasser finished at 8th with a… pic.twitter.com/HDDiErndRw
For the uninitiated, two other Indian athletes also took part in the F46 shotput finale but could not finish in the top places. Mohd Yasser finished in 8th place with a throw of 14.21 metres, whereas Rohit Kumar ended in 9th place with a throw of 14.10 metres.
As of now, India’s medal tally stands at 21 with three gold, eight silver and 10 bronze.