Pakistan’s para-athlete Haider Ali secured a bronze medal with a 52.54-meter throw in the Men’s Discus Throw F37 final at the Paralympic Games, held at Stade de France on Friday.
Uzbekistan’s Tolibboy Yuldashev claimed gold with a personal best of 57.28 meters on his sixth attempt, while Canada’s Jesse Zesseu took silver with a 53.24-meter throw.
Ali, visibly jubilant, celebrated his victory by taking a victory lap, embracing fellow medallists and competitors. He had led the competition early on with a strong 52.28-meter throw, marking his season’s best in his first event of the year.
The 39-year-old now boasts a total of two bronze, one silver, and one gold medal from his five Paralympic Games, with Paris 2024 marking his latest achievement. Remarkably, Ali’s medals are the only ones ever won by Pakistan at the Paralympic Games.
His journey began at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics, where he earned a silver medal in the Men’s Long Jump F37/38 with a leap of 6.44 meters. At Rio 2016, he secured a bronze in the Men’s T37 Long Jump. Ali’s crowning achievement came at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, where he won gold in the Men’s Discus Throw.