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Yuvaraja Karunakaran

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India Paralympics: A look at how India has performed over the years

India Paralympics: A look at how India has performed over the years

India Paralympics: A look at how India has performed over the years

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. Overall India has participated in 12 editions of the Paralympic Games, winning a total of 31 medals, including nine gold, 12 silver and 10 bronze in the Paralympics since its introduction in 1960. The Paralympics has seen individual athletes take up the role to bring glory to the country. India prepares to put on their best-ever performance in the Paris Paralympics 2024 with its largest-ever Paralympics contingent. In this blog piece, we take a look at how the India Paralympics team has performed over the years.

India Paralympics: A look at how India has performed over the years

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. In just a few weeks, we'll have another chance to cheer our fellow Indian athletes. Star Indian javelin thrower Sumit Antil is also one of India's flagbearers at the Paris Paralympics 2024 opening ceremony. Here's a look at the India Paralympics history filled with medals and a series of controversies over the years.

1. India's Paralympics debut and their first Paralympics medal

India did not participate in the first two Paralympics which took place in 1960 in Rome and Tokyo in 1964. The India Paralympics team's first participation came at the 1968 Tel Aviv Paralympics. India sent a contingent of 10 athletes to Tel Aviv. Unfortunately, they came back empty-handed without a medal. Muralikant Rajaram Petkar was India's first-ever Paralympic gold medallist. Murlikant clinched the gold medal in the 50 m freestyle swimming at the Heidelberg 1972 Paralympic Games.

Back then, he had set a world record in swimming with an impressive 37.33 seconds. Murlikant went on to participate in the 1968 Tel Aviv Paralympics and reached the finals in javelin throw and slalom racing along with bagging a gold in the 1972 Heidelberg Paralympics. He also clinched a gold medal at the 1970 Edinburgh Commonwealth Paraplegic Games. His efforts were finally recognised in 2018 when he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Indian government.

2. India's 4 medal haul in 1984 Stoke Mandeville & New York Paralympics

Despite Muralikant's Paralympics heroics, India did not take part in the 1976 and 1980 Games at Toronto and Arnhem respectively before eventually returning for the 1984 Stoke Mandeville & New York edition. The India Paralympics team won four medals in 1984 and finished a joint-37th position with South Korea. Joginder Singh Bedi was the star of India's 1984 Paralympics campaign who won a silver medal in men’s shot put and also clinched two bronze medals in discus and javelin throw respectively. Bhimrao Kesarkar won India's fourth medal (silver) in the javelin throw.

3. India's medal drought and the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games comeback

India did not win a single medal at the 1988 Seoul, 1992 Barcelona, 1996 Atlanta, and 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games. India's medal drought finally ended at the 2004 Athens Paralympics when Devendra Jhajharia won the gold medal in javelin throw and Rajinder Singh clinched the bronze medal in powerlifting (56kg category). It was a mixed performance by the Indian Paralympic athletes as India once again failed to win a single medal at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.

However, HN Girisha won the only medal - a silver in the men’s high jump F42 category at the 2012 London Paralympics. India made a stellar comeback at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games with four medals. Devendra Jhajharia won the gold medal in the javelin throw F46 category, while Mariyappan Thangavelu clinched the gold medal in the high jump F42 category. On the flip side, Deepa Malik won the silver medal in the shot put and Varun Singh Bhati grabbed a bronze medal in the high jump F42.

4. India's best-ever Paralympics - 2020 Tokyo Paralympics

The India Paralympics contingent had a total of 54 athletes participating in the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games. India won 19 medals at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics five gold, eight silver and six bronze. It was India’s best-ever Paralympics. Shooting emerged as the biggest contributor for India with 5 medals, followed by high jump and badminton with 4 medals each. The 2020 Tokyo Paralympics campaign was a historic one for India, with star shooter Avani Lekhara becoming the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal.

Bhavina Patel became the first Indian table tennis player to win a Paralympic medal and Harvinder Singh became the first Indian to win a Paralympic medal in archery. However, it will be interesting to see whether the India Paralympics team can better their medal tally in Paris Paralympics 2024. The 2024 Paralympic Games are just around the corner and will run from August 28 to September 8, with the Opening Ceremony on Wednesday, August 28.

India's Paralympics medal wins over the years

Paralympic Games Gold Medal Silver Medal Bronze Medal Total Medals
1960 Rome Did not participate -
1964 Tokyo Did not participate -
1968 Tel Aviv - - - -
1972 Heidelberg 1 - - 1
1976 Toronto Did not participate -
1980 Arnhem Did not participate -
1984 UK/USA - 2 2 4
1988 Seoul - - - -
1992 Barcelona - - - -
1996 Atalanta - - - -
2000 Sydney - - - -
2004 Athens 1 - 1 2
2008 Beijing - - - -
2012 London - 1 - 1
2016 Rio de Janeiro 2 1 1 4
2020 Tokyo 5 8 6 19
India Paralympics history 9 12 10 31
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