2024 was an exceptionally eventful year for Indian sport. At the end of the year, ESPN India picks ten images that tell the story of the most stunning moments we witnessed in the last 12 months. Our eighth pick is a moment of anger amid a world record gold medal, a moment that defines the elite champion mentality of Sumit Antil.
In Paris this summer, there were two Indians looking to defend their javelin gold. Only one did... and it's the manner in which he did it that makes Sumit Antil so special.
The way in which he broke the Paralympic record on his first throw with 69.11m. The way he looked at that record, laughed, and broke it again with 70.11m. The way he broke that previous record (68.55m, set by Sumit himself in Tokyo) once again with a throw that sailed to 69.04m. The way, if he could have been awarded multiple medals in the event, he would have walked home with gold, silver, and bronze for those three throws. The way he was only the second Indian to retain Paralympic gold (after Avani Lekhara, who did that on the shooting range a few days prior).
But most of all it was the anger... on his fourth throw, a fling that looked like the javelin had hit about the 67m - 68m mark, Antil looked so angry with his efforts that he stepped out, deliberately fouling out the attempt. It was a throw that would have been enough for gold by itself (he didn't even need to break his previous Paralympic record for that) but Sumit wasn't happy.
Considering he held the world record at 73.29m, this throw of 67m - 68m was almost an insult. He was angry even after that fifth attempt of 69.04m but deemed it an okay enough throw to reflect on his scorecard at that point.
Just reflect on that paragraph for a moment. Sumit Antil was angry that he hadn't broken his own world record. He had broken (his own) Paralympic record thrice, but the man was still not happy. He was, in fact, angry.
How many times have we ever written this about an Indian athlete at an elite event, let alone the most elite events of them all? Here was Sumit, walking into the Paralympics as champion, having a private competition between himself and his ego, and being angry that he didn't beat his past self. This is the kind of domination Indian sports fans could only fantasise about, only stand in awe and envy and watch from afar. Here, the heroic protagonist was an Indian. Remarkable doesn't quite cover it.