India’s Preparations for the Paris 2024 Paralympics: Insights and Historical Context
The Paris 2024 Paralympics are set to be held in the French capital from August 28 to September 8, marking a significant event in the athletic calendar. India is poised to send its largest delegation in the history of the Paralympic Games, comprising 84 athletes—52 men and 32 women—representing a notable increase from the 54 participants in the last edition of the Games.
Since the inception of the Paralympics, India has accumulated a total of 31 medals, with the inaugural medal being awarded in 1972 in Heidelberg, West Germany. This historic achievement was accomplished by Murlikant Petkar, who secured a gold medal in the men’s 50-meter freestyle 3 category.
The Tokyo 2020 Paralympics constituted India’s most successful outing, culminating in an impressive total of 19 medals—five gold, eight silver, and six bronze—placing India 24th on the overall medal table. The shooting discipline was particularly fruitful, yielding five medals, while both high jump and badminton contributed four medals each to the tally.
Noteworthy accomplishments were achieved during these Games, notably by Avani Lekhara, who became the first Indian woman to earn a Paralympic gold medal in the women’s 10m air rifle shooting standing SH1 event. Other historic figures include Sumit Antil, who achieved gold in the men’s javelin F64/44 final with a world record throw of 68.55 meters, Bhavina Patel, who made history as the first Indian table tennis player to medal at the Paralympics, and Harvinder Singh, who brought home the first-ever Paralympic archery medal for India.
As the nation prepares for the Paris 2024 Paralympics, there is great anticipation surrounding the Indian contingent and the potential for even greater achievements on the world stage.
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