India concluded its campaign at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games with a commendable total of 29 medals, comprising seven gold, nine silver, and thirteen bronze. This achievement marks the nation’s most successful outing at the Paralympic Games to date. The event culminated on Sunday, with Pooja Ojha being the final athlete representing India. Unfortunately, she did not advance past the heats in the women’s kayak 200m event.

With 29 medals in total, India secured the 18th position on the overall medal table. In contrast, Pakistan, competing in the same event, finished joint-last at 79th place, having garnered merely a single bronze medal. India’s impressive performance in Paris saw it outperform several historically stronger nations including Switzerland, Belgium, South Korea, Turkey, and Argentina, thereby ensuring its place among the top 20 countries competing at the Games.

The traditional powerhouses of the Paralympic Games, such as China, Great Britain, the United States, and Italy, maintained their strong standings, finishing within the top 10. Nevertheless, India demonstrated significant progress throughout the 2024 Games and aims to excel further at the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.

The culmination of India’s medal tally came through the exceptional performance of Navdeep Singh, who won the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw F41 classification. Initially, he had achieved a silver with a throw of 47.32m, surpassing the world record holder, Sun Pengxiang of China. However, an update occurred when Iran’s Sadegh Beit Sayah was disqualified for improper conduct, leading to Navdeep being awarded the gold medal, while Pengxiang secured the silver medal with a throw of 44.72m. Sayah had briefly set a new Paralympic record before his disqualification.

Additionally, Simran, alongside her guide Abhay Singh, achieved a personal best of 24.75 seconds, securing a bronze medal in the women’s 200m (T12) event. The 24-year-old athlete from Delhi, who has been visually impaired since birth, is the reigning world champion in this event. She had finished fourth in the 100m event but redeemed herself with her performance on Saturday.

Notably, the track-and-field events contributed 17 of India’s total medals, including four golds, while the country overall placed 15th in the rankings, which were led by China with an impressive tally of 208 medals, including 90 golds. For Navdeep Singh, this gold medal serves as redemption following his fourth-place finish in the Tokyo Games. An inspector in the Income Tax Department, he has been a formidable presence in para-athletics since taking up the sport in 2017, having secured multiple national-level medals including a recent bronze at the para-world championships.

Simran also demonstrated her prowess with two silver medals attained at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou last year and three gold medals in her respective events at the inaugural Khelo India Para Games last December, under the guidance of her husband and coach, Naik Gajendra Singh.

Overall, India’s extraordinary achievement at the 2024 Paris Paralympics underscores the nation’s growing prowess in para-sports, inspiring future generations and setting a robust foundation for upcoming international competitions.

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