Preethi Pal secures India's first medal in women's 200m at Para Athletics C'ships

India marked a historic milestone at the World Para Athletics Championships as Preethi Pal became the first Indian to win a medal in the women's 200m event. Competing in the T35 category, Pal clocked an impressive 30.49 seconds to secure the bronze medal.

The Indian team celebrated their first medals of the championship, with high jumper Nishad Kumar adding to the tally with a silver medal in the men's T47 high jump.

Kumar, a Tokyo Paralympics silver medallist, cleared 1.99m to finish second, trailing behind American Roderick Townsend, who claimed gold with a 2.05m jump. Another Indian contender, Ram Pal, finished sixth, achieving his season's best at 1.90m.

Preethi Pal’s achievement in the T35 200m final, a category for athletes with coordination impairments, was particularly significant as it marked the first time an Indian athlete had medaled in this event at the World Para Athletics Championships.

In addition, Deepthi Jeevanji made waves by qualifying for the women's T20 400m final after winning her heat with an Asian record time of 56.18 seconds. The T20 category is designated for athletes with intellectual impairments.

Despite these notable performances, India is currently ranked 29th in the overall medal tally, which is dominated by China with 26 podium finishes (10 gold, 8 silver, and 8 bronze) after the third day of competition.

The World Para Athletics Championships, set to continue until May 25.