Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded the Indian contingent for delivering their best-ever performance at the Paralympic Games in Paris, saying that it was possible due to the “unwavering dedication and indomitable spirit” of the athletes.
Indian para-athletes have secured a record-breaking total of 29 medals, including seven gold, nine silver, and 13 bronze. This achievement surpasses the country’s best 19 medals tally at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, marking a new era in Indian para-sports.
In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, “Paralympics 2024 have been special and historical. India is overjoyed that our incredible para-athletes have brought home 29 medals, which is the best ever performance since India’s debut at the Games. This achievement is due to the unwavering dedication and indomitable spirit of our athletes. Their sporting performances have given us many moments to remember and inspired several upcoming athletes. #Cheer4Bharat.”
A record number of 84 para-athletes represented India in 12 disciplines, a significant increase from the nine sports contested in Tokyo 2020. The team’s participation expanded to include new sports such as para-cycling, para-rowing, and blind judo.
Among the standout performers was para-shooter Avani Lekhara, who made history by becoming the first Indian woman to secure two Paralympic gold medals. Lekhara successfully defended her women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 shooting title with a world record score of 249.7 points. In the same event, Mona Agarwal clinched a bronze, adding to India’s medal tally.
Dharambir and Parnav Soorma achieved a historic one-two finish in the men’s club throw F51 event, securing gold and silver respectively. Dharambir’s throw of 34.92 m not only clinched the gold but also set a new Asian record. Praveen Kumar continued India’s golden run in athletics, clinching gold in the T64 high jump with an Asian record-breaking jump of 2.08 m.
In archery Harvinder Singh became the country’s first-ever archery champion across both the Olympics and Paralympics. Singh’s gold medal in the individual recurve para-archery event against Poland’s Lukasz Ciszek marked a significant milestone for Indian archery.
In javelin throw, Sumit Antil defended his Paralympics title in the F64 event. Antil not only secured gold but also broke his own Paralympic record three times, ultimately setting a new mark of 70.59 m. This feat made him the first Indian male to successfully defend a Paralympics title.
India’s high jump athletes Mariyappan Thangavelu secured a bronze in the T42 class, making history as the first Indian to medal in three successive Paralympics. Nishad Kumar and Sharad Kumar added to the medal haul with silver medals in their respective high jump events.
In track events Preethi Pal secured bronze medals in both the women’s 100m and 200m T35 races, marking India’s first medals in Paralympic track events. Deepthi Jeevanji made history as the first intellectually impaired Indian athlete to win a Paralympic medal, claiming bronze in the women’s 400m T20 class.
The para-archery team set multiple world records. Sheetal Devi, at just 17 years old, became India’s youngest Paralympic medalist after securing a bronze in the mixed team event with Rakesh Kumar. The duo had earlier set a world record in the mixed team qualification event with a score of 1,399.
Furthermore, Manisha Ramdass secured the country’s first-ever para-badminton medal with a bronze, while Kapil Parmar clinched a bronze in judo, marking India’s debut medal in the sport at the Paralympics.
India’s performance at the 2024 Paralympics not only surpassed all previous achievements but also propelled the country past the 50-medal mark in its Paralympic history.
(Inputs from ANI)