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Paralympics Paris 2024

Paralympians raise the Indian Flag with pride in the Paris olympics with stargazing performances

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Image Credit: NDTV
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Paralympians from India had a great show at the Paris Paralympics 2024 as they clinched 29 medals which was a record high to their previous record high of 19 in Tokyo Paralympics 2021.

Which showed an increasing supremacy of India in para sports Olympics across the globe where out of the total 17 medals, athletics played a major role.

This outstanding performance will herald a new era in Indian sports which is emerging from one to four-medal performances in the past decades to double-digit medal performances.

Nothing was going to stop India’s Paralympians from having a taste of Indian food while in Paris prior to the closing ceremony.

The Paralympics planned in Paris are not only an indicator of India’s preparation of acknowledging its enhanced capability in para sports but also as a result of the interest ignited by their entry in Tokyo. 

Event Medalists Medals
Athletics Preethi Pal, Gur Dharambir, Pranav Soorma 17 (4 Golds)
Archery Harvinder Singh, Sheetal Devi 2
Judo Kapil Parmar 1
Badminton Nitesh Kumar, Thulasimathi Murugesan 3 (1 Gold)

Related articles Kapil Parmar Makes History as First Indian to Win Paralympic Judo Medal


Athletics Leads the Medal Charge 

Athletics continued to be India’s strongest suit, contributing 17 of the 29 medals in Paris, including four golds. This marked a significant improvement from Tokyo, where athletics also led the medal count. 

In Paris, Indian athletes made notable strides in track events as well, a domain where the country has had limited success in the past.

Preethi Pal gave a bronze-medal winning effort in 100m T35 which was the first-ever medal for India in athletics while in 200m T35 Preethi Pal with another bronze while Simran Sharma clinched bronze in the 200m T12 event. 

Performance of Indian athletes in field events was again impressive, especially javelin throwers and jumpers. They both together gave a historical performance of gold-silver chance in club throw-Gur Dharambir & Pranav Soorma.

It was about triumph of spirit and the inching ability of an Independent Indian athlete to perform and stand amongst the world’s best. It was about carving new milestones for upcoming Indian Paralympians. 


Archery, Judo, and First-Time Medalists Make History 

“I have to break this trend and change the silver medal into gold,” — Yogesh Kathuniya, Discus Throw

Archery has often been a challenging sport for India at global events, frequently ending in near-misses and disappointments. However, the Paris Paralympics changed that narrative with significant achievements. Harvinder Singh became the first Indian archer to win a gold in recurve, overcoming several tough moments along the way. 

Sheetal Devi also made history as the first Indian woman archer to step onto the Paralympic podium, securing a bronze in the mixed team compound event alongside Rakesh Kumar. 

Judo also saw a breakthrough with Kapil Parmar becoming the first Indian to win a medal in the sport, clinching a bronze. Among India’s first-time Paralympians, Sheetal Devi, at just 17, stood out, while Hokato Hotozhe Sema, at 40, earned a bronze in shot put (F57).

In badminton, debutante Nitesh Kumar, Thulasimathi Murugesan, and Manisha Ramadass contributed to the medal tally, with Nitesh winning gold, Thulasimathi silver, and Manisha bronze.


Consistent Performers and Room for Improvement

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Image Credit: Hindustan Times

A group of 11 Indian Paralympians replicated their success from Tokyo, adding to their medal tally in Paris.Interestingly, these Champions include Mariyappan Thangavelu, the prodigy of Paralympics who has been awarded three medals in the games. 

The F64 discipline’s world champion in Javelin throwing Sumit Antil made full use of the defence of his title without much effort. 22 year old shooter Avani Lekhara displayed incredible presence of mind and accuracy to retain her gold in the 10 metre air rifle SH 1 event. 

Some of the Tokyo Olympic medalists boosted their rankings in Paris; Praveen from the silver position took gold in high jump; Harvinder Singh from the bronze position took gold in archery; and Sharad Kumar took the silver position in high jump. 

However, some, like Suhas Yathiraj in badminton, Nishad Kumar in high jump, and Yogesh Kathuniya in discus throw, retained their silver medals and expressed a strong desire to improve further. 

Yogesh Kathuniya, reflecting the collective ambition, stated, “I have to break this trend and change the silver medal into gold.” Despite India’s impressive showing, there remains room for improvement.

Table tennis, which produced medals in Tokyo, fell short in Paris, and badminton, although increasing its total medals from four to five, saw a dip in golds from two to one. These areas highlight opportunities for further development as India continues its ascent in the world of Paralympic sports. 

Overall performance of India in Paris is not only a great encouraging sign in para sports but opens the doors to future performances.

The passion of leaders, a growing support from the public and quite a pool of talented athletes makes it possible for India to achieve more in the Paralympic category further. 

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References:.hindustantimes.com

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