Paris 2024: High hopes for India’s Paralympic team
Nation aims to set new medal record at a Games as Para sport growth continues 22 Aug 2024
India’s Paralympic journey began with their Summer Games debut at Tel Aviv 1968 and their success on the podium has grown steadily. Fifty-two years after swimmer Murlikant Petkar won India’s first medal with gold in the 50m freestyle at Heidelberg 1972, the nation arrives in Paris looking for its best-ever Paralympic Games result.
The story so far
All good things come to those who wait and that was certainly the case for India. After gold in Heidelberg, it was another 12 years before they returned to the Paralympic podium at Innsbruck 1984, picking up two silvers and two bronze in Para athletics. That was followed by a gap of two decades before Devendra Jhajharia’s javelin gold and Rajinder Singh’s bronze in powerlifting at Athens 2004.
Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 were the Games that would put India more firmly on the Paralympic map. Nineteen athletes from five sports travelled to Brazil in 2016, almost double the contingent that competed in London, resulting in three Para athletics medals. Jhajharia added his second javelin title, with Mariyappan Thangavelu joining him with high jump gold. Deepa Malik’s silver in the shot put was the first Paralympic medal for an Indian woman.
History made
At Tokyo 2020, India sent 54 athletes in nine sports, a huge record in terms of participation, and they delivered unprecedented success. In shooting Para sport, Avani Lekhara became the first Indian to win two Paralympic medals at one Games, taking gold in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event and bronze in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions SH1.
Thangvelu and Jhajharia both added silvers to their previous golds, and the Indian total was a record 19 medals – five golds, eight silvers and six bronze.
Indian Paralympic Committee Secretary General Jaywant Hammanawar says the recent growth in Paralympic sport was down to government schemes supporting talented athletes.
“Under the support of our prime minister, the Honourable Narendra Modi, the Paralympic movement in India is growing at tremendous pace,” Hammanawar explains.
“The government under this leadership launched a top Olympic podium scheme which provides special support to medal hopefuls who are training for the Asian Para Games and Paralympic Games. This scheme has played a vital role in the growth of medal depth India has seen over the last decade.”
Gathering momentum
Coming into the r, India’s Para athletes are on a high. At the Hanzghou 2022 Asian Para Games, held in October 2023, 303 athletes participated across 17 sports, and brought home a record 111 medals – the most India has ever won at an international multi-sport event.
Three Indian athletes broke world records in Hangzhou: Gurjar Sundar Singh threw 68.6m in the javelin F46 event, and Sumit Antil threw 73.29m in the javelin F64, while the men’s compound Para archery team scored a world record 158 points.
Lekhara shone again in shooting Para sport, with gold in the 10m air rifle standing SH1, and there were medals won in sports as diverse as Para canoe, Para badminton and Para powerlifting.
There were also positive results at the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe earlier this year, with gold for runner Simran in the women’s 200m T12 final as well as several minor medals.
All this suggests the Indian team for Paris 2024 – expected to number around 35 athletes in 12 sports – will be challenging for the podium across the board.
“We have set our sights high for the years coming with the goal of bringing 25 to 30 medals, which would be our highest medal tally,” Hammanawar says.
“Our athletes have been training hard and are ready to make us proud. We have high expectations in several events, especially in Para archery, Para athletics and shooting Para sport. Our athletes have shown incredible skill and determination in their sports, and we believe that we will shine on the world stage.”
“Our ultimate goal is to finish in the top five among all the participant countries. We know this is ambitious, but with the hard work and dedication of the team we believe it is within our reach.”
