How the “flag dispute” led to India’s Navdeep Singh winning the gold medal in the F41 javelin at the Paralympics

India’s Navdeep Singh’s silver medal was upgraded to gold after Iran’s Sadegh Beit Sayah, the original winner, was disqualified for repeatedly displaying an offensive flag after a dramatic final in the F41 javelin at the Paris Paralympics on Saturday. This is India’s first gold medal in the men’s F41 javelin category. The 23-year-old para-athlete from Haryana, who finished fourth at the Tokyo Games three years ago, threw a personal best of 47.32m to secure the top spot.

Navdeep, who competes in the category for athletes of short stature, originally achieved the silver medal after eclipsing world record holder Sun Pengxiang of China with a throw of 47.32 metres.

However, after Sadegh’s disqualification, this victory was upgraded to an unprecedented gold medal. Pengxiang (44.72 m) took silver.

Sayah had managed to pull away from the field with a new Paralympic record of 47.64 m in the penultimate throw, but lost the medal due to his antics.

Why do you need this #Iranian Beit Sayah Sadegh’s
Where is your pic.twitter.com/KyUF8lI6e7

— Anil Bansal (@dilseanilbansal) 7 September 2024

According to International Paralympic Committee rules, athletes are prohibited from making any political gestures during the event and Sayah was disqualified from the final rankings for unsportsmanlike/inappropriate conduct.

Iraqi Nukhailawi Wildan (40.46) won the bronze medal.

Navdeep, who had entered the competition with a personal best of 44.29m and a season’s best of 42.82m, made a mistake and threw 46.39m in his second attempt, which earned him second place. But it was his third throw that electrified the stadium.

With a monstrous throw of 47.32 metres, Navdeep broke the Paralympic record and quickly took the lead, but Sadegh was able to beat the Indian’s record with a performance of 47.64 metres in his fifth attempt.

Navdeep’s journey: From necessity to the international podium

Born in Panipat, Haryana, Navdeep faced challenges from the beginning, but he did not let his illness define him.

Inspired by his father, a national-level wrestler, and Gram Sachiv, Navdeep channeled his passion into athletics, overcoming societal expectations and physical limitations.

After completing his education from Unique Public School and pursuing a BA in Hindi (Hons.) from Delhi University, Navdeep’s commitment to sports only grew stronger.

His career took a decisive turn in 2017 when he started professional coaching and made his international debut at the Asian Youth Para Games, where he won gold in the javelin throw.

The win marked a turning point and proved that his determination and perseverance could overcome any challenge. Navdeep bagged five national gold medals and secured an international gold medal at the Fazza International Championship 2021 in Dubai.

Despite setbacks at the Tokyo Paralympics and the 2022 Asian Para Games, where he finished fourth, Navdeep, who works as an inspector in the Income Tax Department in Bengaluru, bounced back with a bronze medal at the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan, earlier this year.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)