Para-shooter turned thrower Haney once trained at a range in a school owned by double Olympic bronze medallist shooter Manu Bhaker’s family. This was when he was a para shooter. But at the senior level, the T37 for those with cerebral palsy wasn’t part of the shooting programme. He looked for another sport, and on the advice of the Paralympic Committee of India, he took up javelin. At the Para Asian Games on Friday, 21-year-old Haney won the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw final (F37/38) with a new world record throw of 60.49 metres.

Earlier this week, he also finished third in the men’s discus throw (F37).

“I wanted to try a sport and enrolled in shooting at the school in our village, Goria. Manu didi would also train at her family-run school. I practiced shooting from 2017 to 2020. I was fourth in para nationals a couple of times before I discontinued shooting as the sport was not in senior para events at the international level.…