Tokyo Paralympics: Devendra Jhajharia wins silver, Sundar Singh Gurjar bags bronze in javelin throw F46 final

Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games - Athletics - Men's Javelin - F46 Final - Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan - August 30, 2021. Sundar Singh Gurjar of India in action REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha - RC2FFP969PAS

India won silver as well as the bronze medals in javelin throw class F46 at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020 on August 30. Devendra Jhajharia won silver with a throw of 64.35, while Sundar Singh Gurjar bagged the bronze with an effort of 64.01 in the Men's Javelin Throw F46 Final.

Read | Tokyo Paralympics: India's Avani Lekhara wins Gold Medal 

The F46 classification is for athletes with arm deficiency, impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement in arms, with athletes competing in a standing position.

2 Indians sharing the podium - you love to see it #IND continue their medal-winning run with #Silver for @DevJhajharia and #Bronze for @SundarSGurjar in the Men's Javelin Throw F46 final. #Tokyo2020 #Paralympics #ParaAthleticspic.twitter.com/P9DBROJ4Zj

— #Tokyo2020 for India (@Tokyo2020hi) August 30, 2021

The 40-year-old Jhajahria, already India's greatest Paralympian after winning gold medals in the 2004 and 2016 Games, pulled off a new personal best throw of 64.35m for the silver.

Jhajahria, who lost his left hand after accidentally touching an electric wire while climbing a tree at the age of eight, bettered his own earlier world record (63.97m) but gold winner Sri Lankan Dinesh Priyan Herath Mudiyanselage (67.79m), who set a new world record, was too good for the entire field.

Read | Vinod Kumar wins bronze medal in men’s discus throw F52 event in 2020 Tokyo Paralympics

The 25-year-old Gurjar, who lost his left hand in 2015 after a metal sheet fell on him at his friend's house, was third with a best effort of 64.01m.

The Jaipur-based Gurjar had won gold in the 2017 and 2019 World Para Athletics Championships. He had also won a silver in the 2018 Jakarta Para Asian Games.

India had won four medals in the 2016 editions while the medal count stands at seven in the ongoing event.

Also read: Tokyo Paralympics: India's Yogesh Kathuniya bags silver in discus throw F56

Meanwhile, shooter Avani Lekhara scripted history on August 30 as she became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Paralympics, firing her way to the top of the podium in the R-2 women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event.

She is only the fourth Indian athlete to win a Paralympics gold after swimmer Murlikant Petkar (1972), javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia (2004 and 2016) and high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu (2016).