Indian Javelin Thrower Navdeep Singh Wins Gold After Iranian Rival's Disqualification

The men's javelin F41 final at the Paris Paralympics witnessed a dramatic turn of events, with initial gold medal winner Sadegh Beit Sayah of Iran being disqualified for displaying a controversial flag. This resulted in India's Navdeep Singh's silver medal being upgraded to gold, marking India's seventh gold medal at the Games.

Navdeep's initial reaction was one of surprise and confusion, as he was unaware of the reason for Sayah's disqualification. However, upon seeing his opponent's emotional breakdown, Navdeep was overcome with empathy and embraced Sayah in a gesture of consolation.

"I was so surprised when the red card was shown to the Iranian javelin thrower. He started crying. He was in tears and weeping. I also became so emotional that I went to him and hugged him. I consoled him. Until then, I didn't know what exactly had happened and the reason behind this big decision," Navdeep recounted.

The disqualification stemmed from Sayah's display of the Hamas flag, which is associated with a terrorist organization. This act was deemed inappropriate conduct by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

Navdeep's subsequent joy at winning the gold medal was tempered by the realization that it came at the expense of Sayah's disqualification. "When I was given the gold medal, I was so happy. Tokyo is in the past now, Paris is the present. I am really delighted that I could make my country proud. I'm really happy I could add one more gold medal to India's tally. People always remember gold," Navdeep said.

Reflecting on his performance, Navdeep expressed surprise at his distance of 47.32 meters, which exceeded his expectations. "I never imagined I would throw 47-plus, honestly. I don't have any idea how I did this. Because during my training just before departing for Paris, I was throwing 41 or 42. But I don't know how I managed to throw 47-plus," he remarked.

Navdeep's victory is a testament to his determination and resilience, and it adds to India's impressive medal tally at the Paris Paralympics.

Tags: #Paralympics, #JavelinThrow, #NavdeepSingh, #SadeghBeitSayah, #Disqualification