At the Paris Paralympics 2024, Iranian para-athlete Beit Sayah set a new Paralympic record in the men’s javelin throw F11 category with a throw of 47.64 meters. However, his celebration—displaying a religious flag—led to his disqualification, altering the medal standings. This disqualification upgraded India’s Navdeep Singh‘s silver medal to gold.
Beit Sayah expressed disappointment, noting that he had previously displayed the same flag during his celebration at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics without consequences. Despite this, the International Paralympic Committee disqualified him, citing rules against political gestures.
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Navdeep Singh, a 23-year-old para-athlete from Haryana, initially secured silver with a personal best of 47.32 meters in the F41 men’s javelin throw, but his medal was upgraded to gold after Sayah’s disqualification. This marked India’s first-ever gold medal in the F41 javelin category.
China’s Sun Pengxiang, the world record holder, finished with silver at 44.72 meters, while Iraq’s Nukhailawi Wildan claimed the bronze with a throw of 40.46 meters.
