Javelin autographed by Sumit Antil up for grabs in e-auction of PM Modi's momentos

Javelin autographed by Sumit Antil, Javelin Gold Medallist, Tokyo 2020 Paralympic games is all ready to fetch Rs.1 crore from the PM Momentos e-auction. The auction of Sumit’s javelin was started yesterday 24-Sep-2021, 09:00 am and will end by 07-Oct-2021, 05:00 pm. This javelin was used by Sumit Antil in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic games to win the gold medal in the javelin throw F64 category. Sumit holds the current world record, having thrown 68.55 metres in the Paralympic final.

The Javelin is coloured neon yellow with aqua blue stripes running along the body with a rubber strap at the centre to hold with a better grip. The autographed javelin was presented by Sumit Antil to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday. The 23-year-old from Khewra, Sonipat in Haryana, who lost his left leg below the knee after he was involved in a motorbike accident in 2015, sent the spear to 68.55m in his fifth attempt, which was the best of the day by quite a distance and a new world record.

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In fact, he bettered the previous world record of 62.88m, also set by him, five times on the day. His last throw was a foul. His series read 66.95, 68.08, 65.27, 66.71, 68.55 and foul. He also competed against Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra in the able-bodied Indian Grand Prix series 3 on March 5 in Patiala. At the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai in 2019 he had won silver, then at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Paris in the same year he won another silver medal and yet another silver at the Paris Open Handisport, also in 2019.

In an Interview Tokyo Paralympics gold medallist Sumit Antil said that from his childhood he wanted to be nominated for the ‘Arjun Award.’ Answering over this that why he was keen to be nominated for the Arjun Award and not the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, the para- athlete said: "It is my personal choice that I want to take Arjuna award first because, from my childhood, I had heard about the award. Any big athlete I heard about or saw would first get the Arjuna Award. From childhood, I dreamt of Arjuna Award." Commenting on the ‘Khel Ratna Award’, further he clarified, "In the future, I would definitely like to get it with my performance, but right now I would want the Arjuna Award. But it's up to the government and committee to take the final call and I feel that will be the best decision."

The e-Auction of gifts and mementos received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been started on September 17, 2021. The memorabilia include sports gear and equipment of the medal winning Olympians and Paralympians, replica of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, Chardham, Rudraksh Convention Centre, models, sculptures, paintings, angavastram among others. Persons or organizations can participate in the e-Auction through the website, pmmementos.gov.in till 7th of October, last day of auction. The proceeds of the e-Auction will go to the Namami Gange Mission aimed at ‘Conserving and Rejuvenating the Ganga.’