Navdeep Singh wins Silver but goes home with Gold in big twist: Why was Indian para-athlete’s medal upgraded?

Indian para-athlete Navdeep Singh's silver medal was upgraded to gold in men's javelin throw F41 at the Paris Paralympics on Saturday. Initially, Iran's Sadegh Beit Sayah won the Gold with a Paralympic record of 47.64m, while Navdeep finished second with a throw of 47.32m. However, a major twist led to Sayah's disqualification and Navdeep bring back home India's first-ever gold medal in the men's javelin F41 category.

Why was Navdeep Singh's medal upgraded?

The initial winner, Sadegh Beit Sayah, was disqualified for repeatedly displaying an objectionable flag following a dramatic men's javelin throw F41 final at the Paris Paralympics on Saturday.

"Iranian athlete Beit Sayah Sadegh has been disqualified. As a result, the silver medal has been upgraded to gold, and Navdeep has now secured the Gold medal with a personal best of 47.32m. This marks the first-ever Gold medal in the Men's Javelin F41 category," SAI Media reported as per news agency ANI.

India para-athletics head coach Satyanarayana also confirmed that Iran's appeal was rejected and Navdeep's silver medal was upgraded to a gold medal. "This happened because Iran's athlete breached the International Paralympic Committee's code of conduct," Satyanarayana said.

He said athletes cannot use political slogans and only the national flag can be used. "He used the wrong flag, due to which he got disqualified. Iran protested, but the IPC rejected the appeal. I am very happy that Navdeep has won a gold medal. Indian team is doing very well," he said.

The International Paralympic Committee rules bar athletes from making any political gestures at the event.

About Navdeep Singh

Navdeep, who competes in the classification meant for athletes of short stature, originally ended with a silver after he upstaged world record holder Sun Pengxiang of China with a 47.32m throw. However, that was upgraded to an unprecedented gold after Sadegh's disqualification. Pengxiang (44.72m) finished with a silver.

The 23-year-old para-athlete from Haryana had finished fourth at the Tokyo Games three years ago. His career took a decisive turn in 2017, when he began professional coaching and made his international debut at the Asian Youth Para Games, where he won gold in the javelin throw.

The victory marked a turning point, proving that his determination and grit could overcome any challenge. Navdeep went on to claim five national gold medals and secured an international gold at the 2021 Fazza International Championship in Dubai.

(With inputs from agencies)