Navdeep Singh's silver medal was upgraded after Iranian athlete's disqualification© X (Twitter)
The men's javelin F41 final in the Paris Paralympics concluded on a controversial note after initial gold medal winner Sadegh Beit Sayah was disqualified over the display of a controversial flag. The 'improper conduct' from the Iranian athlete saw India's Navdeep Singh's silver medal being upgraded to gold, giving the country its 7th yellow metal at the Paris Para Games. While Navdeep was ecstatic to take the top podium spot in the event, he got emotional seeing his opponent Sayah break down upon knowing that his effort was disqualified due to the flag gesture.
Navdeep, who didn't know exactly what happened when the disqualification decision was conveyed, also became emotional seeing the Iranian crying. The Indian athlete decided to hug his opponent in an attempt to console him.
"I was so surprised when the red card was shown to the Iranian javelin thrower. He started crying. He was in tears and weeping. I also became so emotional that I went to him and hugged him. I consoled him. Until then, I didn't know what exactly had happened and the reason behind this big decision," Navdeep told Times of India.
Iranian athlete Beit Sayah Sadegh has been disqualified for displaying the Hamas flag , It's a belt treatment for terrorist sympathizer. As a result, Navdeep Singh's silver medal has been upgraded to gold! India has secured its seventh gold medal in Paris! #navdeepsingh… https://t.co/cSl3klLHtP pic.twitter.com/ChSKub3CmI
— Kritika (@itsSSR0786) September 7, 2024
When Navdeep understood that he would be winning the gold medal because of Sayah's disqualification, his happiness knew no bounds.
"When I was given the gold medal, I was so happy. Tokyo is in the past now, Paris is the present. I am really delighted that I could make my country proud. I'm really happy I could add one more gold medal to India's tally. People always remember gold," Navdeep revealed.
"My first throw was a foul. I looked at my coach, and he asked me to remain calm. In my second attempt, I threw 46-plus. I turned toward my coach and asked him how much I threw in my second attempt. He said 46-plus. I was amazed because I didn't put much effort into it. It gave me so much spark and motivation to do even better. And then, the rest is history," he further added.
Navdeep registered a distance of 47.32 in the final, which was a surprise for him too as he, by his own admission, had gone beyond the 42-meter mark in training.
"I never imagined I would throw 47-plus, honestly. I don't have any idea how I did this. Because during my training just before departing for Paris, I was throwing 41 or 42. But I don't know how I managed to throw 47-plus," Navdeep asserted.