India’s para-athletes have made the nation proud with their best-ever medal haul at the Paris Paralympics 2024. With two days still remaining in the event, India surpassed their medal count from the Tokyo Paralympics. So far, Indian athletes have won 22 medals (4 gold, 8 silver, and 10 bronze), marking the country’s best-ever performance, surpassing the 19 medals from the previous edition. This success is largely due to stellar performances by shuttlers and track and field athletes.
5 reasons behind India’s best-ever Paralympics haul
Government support: All 84 athletes representing India were backed by government schemes, received international exposure primarily through competitions abroad, and were guided by international experts.
Recovery centre: For the first time, a recovery centre was established in the Games Village specifically for Indian athletes to provide full support for injury rehabilitation during the competition.
More coaches and support staff: India had a total of 77 coaches and support personnel in Paris, up from 45 at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.
Para-badminton: Introduced in the Tokyo Paralympics, where Indian shuttlers won four medals. In Paris, they have already secured five medals.
Medallists Over Multiple Paralympics
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avani lekhara (women’s shooting): 3 (2 Gold, 1 Bronze) -
Mariyappan Thangavelu (men’s high jump): 3 (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) -
Sumit Antil (men’s javelin): 2 Gold -
Manish Narwal (shooting): 2 (Gold & Silver) -
Suhas Yathiraj (men’s badminton): 2 (Silver) -
Yogesh Kathunia (men’s discus): 2 (Silver) -
Nishad Kumar (men’s high jump): 2 (Silver) -
Sharad Kumar (Athletics): 2 (Silver and Bronze) -
Sundar Singh Gurjar (Athletics): 2 (Bronze)
Indian para-athletes shine in Paris
Harvinder Singh became the first Indian archer to win gold at the Paralympics, followed by club thrower Dharambir, who secured a top finish with a record-breaking throw. India’s athletes continued to exceed expectations on yet another remarkable day at the Paralympics.
World champion shot-putter Sachin Sarjerao Khilari and club thrower Pranav Soorma’s silver-winning performances were significant highlights for India. Their achievements raised India’s medal tally to 24, placing the country in 13th position overall, with five gold, nine silver, and 10 bronze medals. This is India’s best performance to date, and with three more days of competition left, the medal count is expected to grow further.
Harvinder, aged 33, had previously made history by becoming the first Indian to win an archery medal at the Tokyo Paralympics with a bronze. This year, he improved his performance, winning gold after five consecutive victories. He defeated Poland’s Lukasz Ciszek 6-0 in a one-sided final, scripting history for both himself and the country.
Harvinder, a Haryana-based archer, suffers from an impairment in his legs due to the adverse effects of dengue treatment when he was a toddler.
Adding to the success, Dharambir’s Asian record-breaking throw of 34.92m ensured his dominance from start to finish in the F51 club throw final, with Soorma (34.59m) securing silver. The F51 club throw event is for athletes with severe movement limitations in their trunk, legs, and hands, who compete while seated, relying on their shoulders and arms to generate power.
First Published: Sep 05 2024 | 7:00 PM IS