India has carved its place in Paralympic history by winning a record of 20 medals in the Paris Paralympics 2024, surpassing the earlier best of 19 grabbed at Tokyo 2020.
This incredible feat made with five days remaining in the Games showcases how passionate para-athletes of India are and how talented they are.
Key Achievements in Athletics:
| Athlete | Event | Medal | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deepthi Jeevanji | Women’s 400m T20 | Bronze | Record holder, faced tough competition. |
| Mariyappan Thangavelu | Men’s High Jump T63 | Bronze | Consistent performer with previous gold in Rio. |
| Sharad Kumar | Men’s High Jump T63 | Silver | Overcame a poor start to win silver. |
| Sundar Singh Gurjar | Men’s Javelin Throw F46 | Bronze | Best effort of 64.96m, continuing India’s javelin legacy. |
| Ajeet Singh | Men’s Javelin Throw F46 | Silver | Personal record of 65.62m, secured silver. |
A Slow Beginning But an Incredible Ending
The Indian contingent could not really make a flying start in Paris, but what followed was nothing less than a meteoric rise.
Having secured eight medals on Monday, the para-athletes of India kept the momentum on Tuesday sharing five more medals into the tally.
This surge made Paris 2024 to be the best Paralympic outing for India so far.
The first big achievement was accomplished on Wednesday night when India formally won more than its Tokyo 2020 medal tally.
This is again a testimony of the fact that Indian para-athletics has got strength in certain events, which have overall ensured medals for the country in the last three Paralympics meets.
Related articles: Paris Paralympics 2024- The medal count continues
Para Athletics: The Heart of India’s Success
Image Credit: Mint
Athletics has been one of the most successful disciplines for India in the Paralympics and contributed majorly to the medal haul in Paris.
Hopes were high for a substantially better outing at the Paralympics after India clinched 17 medals at the 2023 World Championships in Kobe.
Tuesday, the athletics team had outdone the Tokyo 2020 medal tally, having garnered 10 medals.
This included a number of enthralling performances that excited the whole nation and the world and revamped the position of India in para-sports.
The show stoppers, the sport of badminton, and shooting outshined all the events and proved to be the highlight of the games.
In badminton another area of strength for India, the country was able to build on its Tokyo showing.
Expectations were high at the start of the event, with a target of at least eight medals. Still, the suspension of pride of the country, Pramod Bhagat, gold medalist in Tokyo’s MS SL3 event, and injury to Krishna Nagar lowered the hopes.
Even then, India was able to bag five medals- one more than in Tokyo.
Shooting Para Sport, which was generating no medals before the Olympics in Tokyo, remained constant in Paris. In rifle shooting, a great performer of the Tokyo Olympics, Avani Lekhara, once again emerged as the winner by claiming the gold medal, this time in the 10m rifle event.
Four medals have been secured, and several more events are remaining and this shooting team from India is all set to add to the list of medals.
The Outstanding Shows on the Sixth Day
This is most evident on Day 6 where India added five medals that saw the country cross the 20-medal mark. Here’s a closer look at the standout performances: Let us have a deeper look at the following performances:
- Deepthi Jeevanji – Women’s 400m T20 (Bronze): Dearthi, the 400m T20 women World Champion and Record holder in this category, could only get a bronze because there was stiff competition in the event. Her consistent performance at the tracks of Stade de France is one of the proudest moments for India and contributes one more medal to the tally of athletics.
- Mariyappan Thangavelu – Men’s High Jump T63 (Bronze): It was also a bronze victory from Paralympic veteran Mariyappan, who had earlier clinched gold in Rio and silver in Tokyo. While there was expectation for a shot gold, his consistency further cemented him as part of the strata of the elite in para-athletics.
- Sharad Kumar – Men’s High Jump T63 (Silver): The spirit of Sharad Kumar was all visible when he competed at the Paris Paralympics. He suffered from a poor start in the event. However he was able to clinch a Silver medal in the T42 classification with Paralympic Record. He never backed down and, through his sheer willpower, turned the tide; this again was an asset to India.
- Sundar Singh Gurjar – Men’s Javelin Throw F46 (Bronze): The other Indian competitor, Sundar Singh Gurjar, also repeated India’s record in javelin throw and won a bronze medal with a best effort of 64. 96m. In fact, Sundar had to face a lot of pain, but his performance should be appreciated for the continuity of India’s javelin legacy.
- Ajeet Singh – Men’s Javelin Throw F46 (Silver): The one that had to be talked about was Ajeet Singh, who was able to capture the silver medal.
- On his fifth try, he improved his feat to a personal record of 65. 62m took him to the second position, leaving behind his team-mate Sundar.
- Ajeet was one of those Indian athletes who performed to the requirements when it most counted and typified Indian involvement.
India could add to its medal tally in the next five days as well and five days are still left for the completion of the games.
The para-athletes have already given a historic performance, and their glorious show in Paris will set the path for the forthcoming generations of athletes in India.
The nation, the prospects are even more optimistic, with chances of more medals and records being breached on the horizon.
For any Indian, the Paris Paralympics 2024 will definitely be etched in the annals of the country’s sports history as it brought out the spirit of fighters who donned Indian colors despite all the odds.
Want To Get Updated?
Keep up with the latest updates on sports, like Cricket, Football, Table Tennis, Shooting, Squash, Lawn Tennis, Karate, Taekwondo, and Martial Arts.
IndianSportsBuzz is your go-to sports news portal, bringing you real-time and analysis of all the sports you love.
References:
indianexpress.com
hindustantimes.com
