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India finish with 23 medals on 12th Fazza World Para Athletics Grand Prix

Teenaged high jumpers Praveen Kumar and Nishad Kumar produced personal best jumps to take a gold medal each and set new Asian records as curtains came down on the 12th Fazza World Para Athletics Grand Prix here.

Sentinel Digital Desk

DUBAI: Teenaged high jumpers Praveen Kumar and Nishad Kumar produced personal best jumps to take a gold medal each and set new Asian records as curtains came down on the 12th Fazza World Para Athletics Grand Prix here.

Praveen's and Nishad's gold medal winning efforts were the high points in the final day's action for India who also had three silver and a bronze on Saturday, to end their campaign at the championships with 23 medals.

At the end of the competition, India were among the top finishers in the medal tally with Thailand returning home with 34 medals, while Turkey, Kenya and India finished with 23 medals. The hosts UAE ended with 14 medals, including two silvers, by their paralympic medallist middle-distance racer Mohammed Al Hammadi.

After a stellar show from the Indian javelin throwers on Day 3, expectations were high from the high jumpers and they didn't disappoint.

Eighteen-year-old Praveen's 2.05m jump was enough to make a new Asian record and fetch him the gold in men's high jump F42/44/64 event. He finished ahead of former Asian Para Games gold medallist and fellow Indian Sharad Kumar (1.76 m) and Hamada Hassan who also cleared the 1.76m bar. IANS