Paris Paralympics 2024:
India's Unprecedented Triumph
India has outdone itself at the Paris Paralympics 2024, snagging a jaw-dropping 29 medals! With 7 glittering golds, 9 shining silvers, and 13 bronzes, Team India claimed the 18th spot on the medal tally- its best finish ever. And, with these new wins, India's total Paralympic medal count now stands proudly at 60.
From August 28 to September 8, 2024, the world watched as 84 Indian athletes battled it out in 12 events, including three new ones-para cycling, para riding, and blind judo! Here's a breakdown of the nation's trailblazing performance:
Golden Stars of Para Athletics
India bagged 17 medals in para athletics alone, with 4 golds, 6 silvers, and 7 bronzes. Among the highlights was the remarkable debut of Kapil Parmar, who clinched a bronze in blind judo, a new category for India. But let's talk about our golden champions:
- Sumit Antil: The javelin maestro is back at it! After winning gold at Tokyo 2020, Sumit defended his title in Paris, launching the javelin to a record 70.59 meters. He's now the first Indian to achieve this back- to-back Paralympic gold feat. With gold medals from both the World Para Championship and the 2022 Asian Games, Sumit is unstoppable!
- Navdeep Singh: In a twist of fate, Navdeep, who finished fourth in Tokyo, grabbed silver in Paris with a throw of 47.13 meters. But wait-when the Iranian gold medalist was disqualified, Navdeep got promoted to gold! His persistence has paid off, as he's also a proud bronze medalist at the 2024 World Athletics Championships.
- Praveen Kumar: Praveen soared to new heights- literally-breaking the Asian record with a 2.08 meter jump to clinch gold in Paris. After taking silver in Tokyo, he's now on top of the world, adding this win to his previous Asian Para Games gold and World Para bronze.
- Dharambir: With a club throw of 34.92 meters, Dharambir struck gold in a head-to-head with fellow Indian Pranav Soorma, who had to settle for silver. The club throw, by the way, is the Paralympic equivalent of Olympic hammer throw. Dharambir's impressive resume includes a bronze at the 2024 Para World Championships in Japan.
Silver Lining of Para Athletics
India's silver haul featured athletes who fought neck-and-neck battles, coming tantalisingly close to gold:
- Pranav Soorma: After winning gold at the 2023 Asian Games, Pranav had to settle for silver in Paris. But with consistent wins at the Serbia Open in 2023 and 2024, he's proven his mettle in club throw.
- Sachin Khilari: In the shot put, Sachin threw a jaw-dropping 16.32 meters, setting an Asian record. He narrowly missed out on gold by just 0.06 meters! Sachin's two-time world champion status and his Asian Para Games gold speak volumes about his potential.
- Ajit Singh: After learning hard lessons from Tokyo 2020, Ajit hurled his javelin 65.52 meters to snag silver in Paris. He bested world record holder Sundar Singh Gurjar in a thrilling contest, marking a personal victory after settling for bronze in the 2024 World Championship.
- Sharad Kumar: In the high jump, Sharad cleared 1.88 meters to clinch silver. After winning bronze in Tokyo with a 1.83 meter jump, Sharad has now taken his performance to new heights.
- Yogesh Kathunia: Though Yogesh's season-best throw earned him silver, he's no stranger to this spot on the podium. Having previously taken silver at Tokyo 2020 and the 2023 Asian Games, Yogesh's consistency and skill remain unmatched.
- Nishad Kumar: Nishad brought home a silver in high jump, clearing 2.04 meters in Paris. Though he lost to an American athlete, Nishad has already secured his place in history, with a silver medal at Tokyo 2020 too.
Bronze Medalists of Para Athletics: India's Grit and Glory
India's bronze medalists in para athletics stole the spotlight with their sheer grit and dazzling performances. Let's meet the champions who brought home the bronze:
- Preethi Pal: A double medalist! Preethi became the first Indian to win two medals in track and field athletics, bagging bronzes in both the 200m and 100m races. After going medal-less at last year's Asian Games in China, she's back with a vengeance, and now with not one but two medals in her collection.
- Deepthi Jeevanji: Meet Deepthi, the first low-IQ player to win a medal in the 400m race, clocking in at 55.82 seconds. She's already the reigning world champion and the 2023 Asian Games gold medalist. While she faced fierce competition from Ukrainian and Turkish athletes, Deepthi held her own and added to India's medal haul.
- Mariyappan Thangavelu: A Paralympic legend! Thangavelu has now won medals at three consecutive Paralympics-gold in Rio 2016, silver in Tokyo 2020, and bronze in Paris 2024. This historic feat cements his place as one of India's greatest para-athletes. Though he lost to his compatriot Sharad Kumar this time, his legacy remains untouched.
- Sundar Singh Gurjar: A comeback story for the ages! Sundar, once on the brink of giving up due to his disabilities, hurled the javelin 64.96 meters to win bronze in Paris. He narrowly missed silver, losing to Ajit Singh. Sundar's journey is nothing short of inspiring, with a world record of 68.60 meters and a gold from the 2023 Para Asian Games in his trophy case.
- Simran Sharma: Speeding to victory, Simran clocked a personal best of 24.75 seconds in the women's 200 meters, clinching India's first medal in this event at Paris 2024. With her guide Abhay Singh by her side, Simran shattered her past records and raced into the history books.
- Hokato Hotozhe Sema: A hero on and off the field! After losing his leg while serving in the Indian Army, Hokato came roaring back to win bronze in shot put with a personal best of 14.65 meters. He's familiar face on the podium, having won bronze at last year's Asian Games as well.
Para Badminton Medal Winning Superstars
- Nitesh Kumar: Nitesh didn't just win gold-he aced it in style by defeating a British opponent in a nail-biting match. This IIT grad and B.Tech whiz is now the world's top badminton player, winning gold on his debut itself!
- Suhas L.Y.: An IAS officer by profession, Suhas showed his sharpness isn't limited to administration. He became the first player to win two consecutive Paralympic silver medals, falling just short in the final in both Paris and Tokyo. Talk about balancing brains and brawn!
- Thulasimathi Murugesan:
This veterinary science student narrowly missed gold but grabbed silver after a fierce fight with her Chinese opponent. With an Asian Games gold already under her belt, Thulasimathi is a rising star in para badminton.
- Manisha Ramdass: After losing to Thulasimathi in the semis, Manisha bounced back with a blistering one-sided victory, securing bronze in just 12 minutes! The 2022 World Champion is fast becoming a force to reckon with on the international stage.
- Nityashree Sumati Sivan: A badminton prodigy at just 19, Nityashree won her bronze in straight sets in just 23 minutes. When she's not dominating on the court, she runs her own academy, inspiring future athletes.
Para Shooting Stars
- Avani Lekhara: History made again! Avani defended her title in the women's 10m air rifle shooting, winning gold with a score of 249.7, setting a new Paralympic record. She's now the first Indian woman to win two golds in Paralympic history, breaking her own Tokyo 2020 record in the process.
- Manish Narwal: Manish claimed silver in the men's 10m air pistol shooting event with a score of 234.9. Though he started strong, the experienced Korean gold medalist edged him out in the final rounds. At just 22, Manish is already a seasoned pro!
- Rubina Francis: In the women's 10m air pistol, Rubina secured silver with a stellar performance, adding to India's growing tally in shooting.
India's bronze and silver medalists have shown the world what dedication, resilience, and talent can achieve.
- Mona Agarwal: Mona Agarwal, who secured a spot in the 10-meter rifle shooting finals alongside Avani Lekhara, won a bronze medal with a score of 228.7. Before turning to shooting as a career, Mona tried her hand at several other sports and eventually achieved success in shooting. Prior to 2016, Mona had no knowledge of Paralympic sports. After winning the medal, Mona became emotional on the podium as she reminisced about her earlier days.
India's Medals in Para Archery: Bulls-eye Brilliance
- Harvinder Singh: Harvinder Singh didn't just carry the Indian flag at Paris Para-lympics 2024- he carried India straight to the podium! He made history by bagging the gold in men's individual recurve, crushing Poland's Lukasz Ciszek 6-0 in the final. This victory made Harvinder India's first Paralympic archery gold medalist. Three years earlier, he brought home India's first-ever archery medal with a bronze at Tokyo 2020. Reflecting on his win, Harvinder said, "Winning gold for India is a dream come true, but leading my country as the flag bearer at the closing ceremony- now that's something truly magical!"
- Sheetal Devi & Rakesh Kumar: This dynamic duo shot their way to a bronze in the mixed compound open event, delivering a heart-stopping win against Italy's Eleonora Sarti and Matteo Bonacina. The match ended 156-155, with India's archers delivering four perfect 10s in the final set to clinch the medal. In fact, they even tied the Paralympic record with their score! At just 17, Sheetal became India's youngest Paralympic medalist, and if that wasn't cool enough-she was the only unarmed female archer at the games. Talk about hitting bullseyes in style!
India's Medals in Para Judo: A Knockout Performance
- Kapil Parmar: India made its mark in Para Judo at the Paris Paralympics 2024, thanks to Kapil Parmar's smashing performance. Kapil won bronze in the men's 60kg weight class, taking down Brazil's Ailiton de Oliveira with a perfect ippon to claim a 10-0 victory. Earlier, he had breezed into the semis by defeating World Championship bronze medalist Marcos Dennis Blanco of Venezuela-again, 10-0. With an Asian Paralympics silver already to his name, Kapil is carving his legacy as a true judo powerhouse.
Paris Paralympics 2024: India's Medal Surge
The Paris Paralympics 2024 was a landmark moment for India, with athletes bringing home an incredible 29 medals, pushing India's total Paralympic medal count to 60. Though India missed out on the podium in several events, finishing fourth or fifth, the athletes' determination and grit were on full display. These champions proved that no physical challenge can hold you back if you have confidence and dedication in your heart.
(Compiled by Sudhit Mishra and EN Team)