Dilip Mahadu Gavit wins 100m T47 gold for India at Asian Para Games in Nagoya

Dilip Mahadu Gavit won the men's 100m T47 title at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya on Wednesday, clocking 10.69 seconds to lead an Indian one-two. Mohammed Morssinganakath took silver in 10.72 and China's Kangjun Shi claimed bronze in 10.80.

The 23-year-old Maharashtra sprinter has shifted his focus from the 400m to the 100m and added another major title to his résumé after winning the 400m T47 at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou. Gavit also won the 100m at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow earlier this year, and his 10.69 in Nagoya was 0.05 seconds outside his personal best.

Gavit's finishing acceleration decided the Nagoya final, his 10.69 edging Morssinganakath by 0.03 seconds. The race produced an Indian one-two and left Kangjun Shi third in 10.80, completing the podium.

Reflecting on his earlier victory in Glasgow, Gavit said: "The start was a bit slow, but then I gradually picked up pace and it felt great to win." He also described the conditions there: "The weather was not good and I had difficulty getting my timing right. The body becomes slow and it is difficult to warm up." His late-race strength that served him in Glasgow again proved influential in Nagoya.

Gavit's path to elite para-athletics began in a village near Nashik in Maharashtra, where he lost his left hand in an accident at the age of four. Coach Vaijanath Kale, who first noticed him in school competitions, recalled the wider challenges: "The problem in rural areas is that there are no facilities," Kale said. "He did not get proper medical facilities, which led to his left hand being amputated."

Kale helped the family meet training costs and brought Gavit into structured preparation; Gavit now trains at the VDK Foundation in Nashik under Kale. Before focusing on para events, he earned two medals at the Khelo India Youth Games in Pune and another at the Under-18 level, and he is studying for a BA at Dada Sahib Bidikar College in Nashik.

On the international stage Gavit finished second on his debut at the Desert Challenge Cup in 2022, won the men's 400m T47 title at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, and qualified for the Paris Paralympics by finishing fourth at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships. At the Paris Paralympics he finished third in his heat and narrowly missed a place in the final, and domestically he has won four consecutive golds in the 400m at the Para National Athletics Championships.

Gavit's switch to the 100m has produced successive international titles: he took gold in Glasgow and has now added the Asian Para Games crown in Nagoya, delivering back-to-back major 100m victories.