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India's star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has opened up about the intense pressure he faced during the javelin throw final at the Paris Paralympics 2024. Despite his best efforts, Chopra was unable to secure his second consecutive Olympic gold medal, as Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem claimed the top spot with a record-breaking throw.Nadeem's astonishing 92.97m effort in his second attempt set an insurmountable target for the rest of the field, including Chopra. The Indian athlete, who seemed visibly under pressure, managed only one legitimate throw – the silver-winning 89.45m in the second round.In a recent interview, Chopra admitted that Nadeem's giant throw had a significant impact on his mindset. "The first throw has a huge impact on an athlete's mentality. My first throw was good, but I fouled it. I was having some issues with the new track and tried to adjust to avoid another foul, but I failed. The competition was tough," Chopra said."After that, Nadeem had a great throw, and my second throw was also good. But then, as we often say, it's important to balance passion with composure. That day, I think I lost my composure. I was too emotional and angry, and I wanted to do better. But somewhere along the way, I lost sight of the technical aspects," he added.While Chopra was unable to defend his Olympic gold in Paris, he became the first Indian track-and-field athlete to win two successive Olympic medals. He had previously won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.Nadeem's record-breaking throw of 92.97m set a new benchmark in the sport of javelin throw. Chopra, who has consistently been one of the top performers in the world, will undoubtedly be determined to regain his Olympic title at the next Games.

India's Aruna Tanwar Suffers Heavy Defeat in Women's K 44-47kg Para Taekwondo at Paris ParalympicsIndian para taekwondo athlete Aruna Tanwar faced a crushing 0-19 defeat against Nurcihan Ekinci of Turkey in the round of 16 contest in the women's K 44-47kg category at the Paris Paralympics on Thursday.Tanwar proved to be no match for her Turkish opponent, who dominated the five-minute round, scoring points at will. Ekinci relentlessly executed body kicks, earning two points each for a total of 18 points. Tanwar also conceded a penalty point (gam-jeom) during the contest.The K44 category in para taekwondo is reserved for athletes with impairments in one arm above the elbow. Tanwar's defeat marks a disappointing end to her Paralympic campaign.Para taekwondo made its debut at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021 and has quickly gained popularity. Athletes compete in five separate weight categories for each gender.Unlike able-bodied taekwondo, para taekwondo matches consist of a single round lasting up to five minutes. Kicks to the head and punches are prohibited due to the varying abilities of athletes to block.Athletes wear protective gear and "sensor socks" that detect points scored when hitting the opponent's torso. Regular kicks earn two points, turning kicks three points, and spinning kicks four points.Fouls such as head kicks, grabbing, pushing, kicks below the belt, or stepping out of bounds result in a gam-jeom, awarding a point to the opponent.