Xtra Time Web Desk: Discus thrower Vinod Kumar clinched a bronze medal in the men’s F52 event with an Asian record to give India its third medal in Tokyo Paralympics in Tokyo on Sunday. The 41-year-old BSF man produced a best throw of 19.91m to finish third behind Piotr Kosewicz (20.02m) of Poland and Velimir Sandor (19.98m) of Croatia.
Vinod Kumar 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.
The F52 classification is for athletes with impaired muscle power, restricted range of movement, limb deficiency or leg length difference, with athletes competing in seated position. It also applies to cervical cord injury, spinal cord injury, amputation, and functional disorder.
Earlier in the day Bhavina Patel and Nishad Kumar won silver each in women’s singles table tennis class 4 and men’s T47 high jump events respectively.