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Yuvaraja Karunakaran

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A look at India para-badminton team's preparations for the Paris Paralympics 2024

A look at India para-badminton team's preparations for the Paralympics

A look at India para-badminton team's preparations for the Paris Paralympics 2024

The Indian para-badminton team has been on a remarkable journey, one that began with their extraordinary performances at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. The 2024 Paralympic Games are just around the corner and will run from August 28 to September 8. Amidst the excitement, Tokyo Paralympics gold medallist Sumit Antil and Asian Para Games silver medallist Bhagyashree Jadhav have been selected as India's flagbearers for the 2024 Paralympics opening ceremony. The Paralympics have seen individual athletes take up the role of bringing glory to the country. Indian para shuttlers prepare to put on their best-ever performance in the Paris Paralympics 2024 with its largest-ever Paralympics contingent. With 5 days left, here's a look at the India para-badminton contingent's preparations for the Paris Paralympics 2024.

A look at India para-badminton team's preparations for the Paris Paralympics 2024

After sending a record number of 117 individuals to the Paris Olympics, India prepares to send its largest-ever Paralympic team to the games. A total of 84 athletes have been shortlisted for the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games. India Paralympics history is filled with medals and a series of controversies over the years. Overall India has participated in 12 editions of the Paralympic Games, winning a total of 31 medals, including 9 gold, 12 silver and 10 bronze since its introduction in 1960.

The 2020 Tokyo Paralympics marked a defining moment for the India para-badminton contingent, as the team captured the nation’s eyeballs with a dazzling display of skill and resilience. The India para shuttlers made history by securing an impressive tally of 4 medals including 2 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze placing India on the global stage. Here's a look at the India para-badminton contingent's preparations for the Paris Paralympics 2024.

1. Krishna Nagar, Suhas Yathiraj and Manoj Sarkar are all set to lead the Indian para-badminton team

Four out of the five athletes from the Indian men's para-badminton team finished on the podium in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, while Tarun Dhillon finished fourth. Krishna Nagar clinched the gold medal in the SH6 category, whereas Suhas Yathiraj bagged a silver medal in the SL4 competition. Manoj Sarkar had to settle for a bronze, whilst Pramod Bhagat went on to clinch gold in the SL3 category. With 5 days left, most of our para-badminton medallists are going to be competing at the Paris Paralympics 2024. The 2024 Paralympic Games begins with a grand opening ceremony which will take place on August 28.

Star Indian shuttler and Paralympic gold medallist, Pramod Bhagat was handed an 18-month suspension due to anti-doping regulation violations on Tuesday, August 13. It's a massive blow for the India Paralympics team as the gold medallist from the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics will now miss the upcoming 2024 Paris Paralympics after the Indian athlete was found guilty of three whereabouts failures. Pramod alleged that 'a small technical issue' spoiled his dream of defending the Paralympics gold medal. Pramod Bhagat became the first Paralympic champion in the men's singles badminton SL3 category.

2. A look at the India para-badminton contingent's preparations ahead of the Paralympics

Talking about the India para-badminton contingent's form, India bagged 21 medals at the Para-Asian Games held in Hangzhou last year. India won a total of 18 medals at the BWF Para-Badminton World Championship 2024. A lot of credit for this has been given to the national head coach Gaurav Khanna, who believes that badminton could fetch India 10 medals at the Paris Paralympics 2024. In a recent interview with All India Radio, Indian head coach Gaurav Khanna gave some insights into how the para-shuttlers are training for the 2024 Paralympics.

"For the preparations, there is an ongoing camp, organised by SAI (Sports Authority of India) at Shakunatala University in Lucknow. All the players are trying hard and hopefully, we will live up to everyone’s expectations. Every player has some strengths and weaknesses. Your first job is to work on your weaknesses and convert them into strengths. And then you sharpen up your strengths," Indian head coach Gaurav Khanna said.

Coach Gaurav Khanna explained that preparing a para-athlete for an international competition is a multi-faceted process and requires the contributions of several experts. Khanna stated that the entire support staff has indeed been putting in the work required. Apart from efforts put in by the support staff, India's para-shuttlers are also using technology to better understand their opponents as well as their own game. Khanna believes that all these efforts would yield results that would reflect in the Paris Paralympics medals tally.

"Badminton is a game for which you require skills as well as motor abilities. This time we are also taking the help of videography so that we can track the weaknesses of our opponents as well as our own weaknesses. We are doing at least 4 sessions in a day and the players training with full dedication. I feel because of this systematic planning, we will see a difference in the medals tally and badminton we make an important contribution towards it," Gaurav Khanna concluded.

3. The Indian para-badminton team is all set to put on their best-ever performance

Indian para shuttlers are all set for the 2024 Paralympic Games with its largest-ever Paralympics contingent. With 5 days left for the Paris Paralympics 2024 which is starting on August 28, the Indian para badminton team is training harder than ever to put on their best-ever performance following the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics success. The 12-member squad is a perfect combination of experienced Paralympians and young shuttlers. Manasi Joshi and Palak Kohli are all set to lead the Indian women's team with their impressive track records and recent successes. They are joined by Nithya Sre Sumathi, Mandeep Kaur, Thulasimathi Murugesan, Manisha Ramadass, Nitesh Kumar, Sivarajan Solaimalai, Sukant Kadam, Krishna Nagar, Suhas Yathiraj and Manoj Sarkar who are all ready to clinch gold medals at the Paris Paralympics.

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