India’s Paralympic Success: A Record-Breaking 29 Medals

Paralympics: India has achieved an extraordinary milestone at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, held from August 28 to September 8. The Indian contingent has secured a record-breaking total of 29 medals, comprising 7 gold, 9 silver, and 13 bronze. This marks India’s highest-ever medal haul in Paralympic history.

The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) was established in 1994, five years after the formation of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). India made its Paralympic debut in 1968 and has participated in every Summer Paralympic Games since 1984. This edition represents India’s 13th appearance at the Summer Paralympics.

To date, India has won a total of 31 medals at the Paralympics, with its most successful campaign being the 2020 Tokyo Games, where the country secured 19 medals, including 5 gold, 8 silver, and 6 bronze.

For the 2024 Paris Paralympics, India fielded a team of 84 athletes competing in 12 sports. Bhagyashree Jadhav and Sumit Antil served as flag bearers at the opening ceremony, while Preethi Pal and Harvinder Singh took on the role at the closing ceremony.

India’s remarkable success in Paris included multiple podium finishes in several events, highlighting the exceptional performance of its athletes.

Gold Medalists:

• Avani Lekhara won India’s first gold medal in the women’s 10m air rifle event. She became the first Indian woman athlete to win multiple medals at the Paralympics. Mona Agarwal also won a bronze in the same event.
• Kumar Nitesh claimed India’s second gold in the men’s singles SL3 badminton event.
• Sumit Antil made history by winning back-to-back gold medals in the men’s javelin throw F64 event and set two Paralympic records.
• Harvinder Singh secured India’s first Paralympic gold in archery and also won a bronze in the 2020 Paralympics.
• Dharambir Nain won India’s fifth gold in the men’s club throw F51 event.
• Praveen Kumar achieved gold in the men’s high jump T64 event.
• Navdeep Singh earned India’s seventh gold medal in the men’s javelin throw F41 category following the disqualification of Iran’s Sadegh Beit Sayah.

Silver Medalists:

• Manish Narwal won India’s first silver medal of the Games in the men’s 10m air pistol event.
• Nishad Kumar and Yogesh Kathuniya replicated their Tokyo 2020 performances, winning silver in the men’s high jump T47 and men’s discus throw F56 events, respectively.
• Thulasimathi Murugesan secured the only Indian silver in the women’s badminton events.
• Suhas Yathiraj won a silver in the men’s singles SL4 para-badminton event for the second consecutive Games.
• Ajeet Singh Yadav and Sundar Singh Gurjar won silver and bronze, respectively, in the men’s javelin throw F46 event.
• Sharad Kumar earned silver in the men’s high jump T63 event.
• Mariyappan Thangavelu won a medal at his third successive Paralympic Games with a bronze in the same event.
• Sachin Khilari claimed India’s fifth athletics silver medal by finishing second in the men’s shot put F46 event.

Bronze Medalists:

• Preethi Pal achieved India’s first track medal in athletics by winning bronze in the women’s 100m T35 event and became the only Indian multi-medalist by adding another bronze in the women’s 200m T35 event.
• Rubina Francis secured India’s fourth shooting medal with a bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol event.
• Sheetal Devi became the youngest Indian Paralympic medalist by winning bronze in the compound archery event alongside Rakesh Kumar.
• Manisha Ramadass and Nithya Sivan earned bronze in women’s para-badminton events, bringing India’s total medal tally in badminton to five.
• Deepthi Jeevanji won bronze in the women’s 400m T20 race, making her the youngest Indian track medalist at the Paralympics.
• Kapil Parmar won bronze in judo, marking India’s first Paralympic medal in the sport.
• M Thangavelu achieved bronze in the men’s high jump, becoming the first Indian para-athlete to win medals at three consecutive Paralympic Games.

India’s unprecedented success at the 2024 Paris Paralympics not only brings immense pride to the nation but also showcases the growing prowess and potential of Indian athletes on the global stage.

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