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Paris Paralympics 2024: In a surprising turn of events, Iranian athlete Sadegh Beit Sayah was disqualified from the men's javelin throw F41 final at the Paris Paralympics despite throwing a record-breaking 47.64 meters. His remarkable performance was cut short when he was disqualified for a rule infringement, allowing India's Navdeep Singh, who had originally won silver, to win the gold.

The F41 category is intended for athletes of small stature, and Beit Sayah's exclusion dealt significant damage to his medal ambitions.

In a shocking turnaround, Navdeep won gold in the men's javelin throw F41 event at the Paris Paralympics when early leader Sadegh Beit Sayah was disqualified for violating rule 8.1 of the World Para Athletics Code of Conduct and Ethics.

Beit Sayah's record-breaking throw appeared to ensure his victory, but a rule violation resulted in his disqualification, driving Navdeep to the top rank, with his personal best of 47.32 meters now acting as the winning throw.

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"World Para Athletics (WPA) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, ethics, and conduct in the sport of Para athletics. All participants in the sport, including athletes, coaches, officials, and administrators, have a responsibility to uphold these standards and ensure that the sport is conducted in a fair, honest, and transparent manner," the 8.1 rule of World Para Athletics Rules and Regulations Code of Conducts stated.

Why Was Sadegh Beit Sayah Disqualified?

According to many media reports, the disqualification of Sadegh Beit Sayah was attributed to a breach of Rule 8.1, which prohibits behaviour deemed 'unsporting or improper' during competitions, as stated in the International Paralympic Committee's code of conduct. This rule provides that athletes compete with integrity and respect, and Beit Sayah's alleged offence led to his removal from the competition.

Although the real reason for Sadegh Beit Sayah's disqualification remains unknown, he received two yellow cards, showing a rule violation. The aired footage showed the Iranian athlete raising a black flag with an Arabic note in red during the event, which may have resulted in his disqualification.

As a result, Navdeep's gold medal win in the Men's Javelin F41 category was a historic moment for India in the Paralympic Games. His path to the top was not without barriers; he began with a foul, then hurled 46.39 meters, followed by a personal best of 47.32 meters in the third round.

Despite setbacks such as another foul and a 46.06-meter throw, Navdeep won the gold medal for his total performance. Sun Pengxiang of China won the silver medal with a 44.72-meter throw, while Iraq's Wildan Nukhailawi took home bronze with a 40.46-meter distance after being upgraded owing to the disqualification of the initial leader.

Meanwhile, India's medal count at the 2024 Paralympics has grown to 29, with Navdeep Singh's gold medal win in the Men's Javelin F41 category being the most recent addition.