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Indian para athletes shine at Paris Paralympics, script history: Here’s how PM Modi has been encouraging them

Notably, India, so far, has won 24 medals at the Paris Paralympics 2024 with 5 golds, 9 silvers and 10 bronze. India had won 19 medals at Tokyo 2020 with 5 golds, 8 silvers and 6 bronze.

OpIndia Staff
paris paralympics
(Images via News18, file)

Indian Paralympic athletes are scripting history in the 2024 Paris Paralympics registering India’s best-ever showing in the event surpassing previous records, both in terms of the number of medals won as well as the overall impact. The Indian athletes showed outstanding skill, perseverance, and showcased their indomitable spirit, earning their highest medal total in Paralympic history. On day 8 of the event, Indian archer Harvinder Singh won the country its first gold medal in an archery event at the Paralympics.

“The thing that was in my mind was, ‘I have done it for India’ because at the last Paralympics, I just won bronze. I had to change the colour and perform well, and these are the things that I have done. Then finally, I took a long breath and said, Oh, I finally got the gold,” a triumphant Harvinder Singh said.

In an X post, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Harvinder on his achievement and said, “A very special Gold in Para Archery! Congratulations to Harvinder Singh for winning the Gold medal in the Men’s Individual Recurve Open at the #Paralympics2024! His precision, focus and unwavering spirit are outstanding. India is very happy with his accomplishment.”

Notably, India, so far, has won 24 medals at the Paris Paralympics 2024 with 5 golds, 9 silvers and 10 bronze. India had won 19 medals at Tokyo 2020 with 5 golds, 8 silvers and 6 bronze.

Lauding the historic achievement of Indian paralympic athletes, PM Modi said: “India is proud and delighted! Our incredible Paralympic contingent has set a record for the highest-ever medals for our country in any Paralympics. This shows the dedication, passion and determination of our athletes. Congrats to each and every player.”

Dharambir and Pranav Soorma: The “Soormas” of the men’s club throw F51 event

With Dharambir winning gold and Pranav Soorma bagging silver in the men’s club throw F51 event, India’s Paralympics medal tally has reached 24 taking the nation to 13th rank among all participant countries.

“When we left India, we promised that we would come back with 25 medals, and these two medals have brought us very close – to 24. So they are the most crucial of the entire campaign. Don’t have words to explain the joy and emotions that are going through me right now,” Dharambir said after winning gold in his event.

Hailing from Haryana, Dharambir had a life-threatening accident while diving into a canal in his village. Misjudging the depth of the water, he hit with the rocks below, paralysing him from the waist down.

Notably, Dharambir’s victory at the Stade de France stadium marked his first big competition gold medal. He ranked ninth in Rio 2016 and eighth in Tokyo 2020, with a bronze medal at the Para World Championships in Japan earlier this year. Last year, in the Asian Para Games, he finished second to Pranav Soorma after losing the gold medal.

Taking to X, PM Modi congratulated Dharambir on his historic win and said: “The exceptional Dharambir creates history as he wins India’s first ever Paralympic Gold in Men’s Club Throw F51 event at the #Paralympics2024! This incredible achievement is because of his unstoppable spirit. India is overjoyed by this feat.”

Silver medalist Pranav Soorma’s life took a devastating turn when he was 16, as a cement sheet fell on his head, resulting in a serious spinal cord injury that rendered him paraplegic. Doctors warned him he would never walk again, and he spent six months in the hospital. While it took much time for Pranav to accept life with a wheelchair, once he did, sports became his passion and now his passion has elevated him as a national hero.

Congratulating Pranav Soorma, PM Modi said on , “Congratulations to Pranav Soorma for winning the Silver medal in the Men’s Club Throw F51 at the #Paralympics2024! His success will motivate countless youngsters. His perseverance and tenacity are admirable. #Cheer4Bharat.”

Mechanical engineer to Paralympics silver medalist, meet the two-time reigning champion Sachin Khilari

On the 4th of September, World champion Sachin Sarjerao Khilari won silver in the men’s shot put F46 event at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. Khilari won the silver medal with an Asian record of 16.32m on his second attempt.

Sachin Khilari, who was born into a farmer’s family in Sangli, Maharashtra, became handicapped with a crippled left hand after falling off a bicycle in school. In addition to being a paraathlete, Sachin is a mechanical engineer who helps students prepare for state (MPSC) and national (UPSC) public service commission exams.

Calling Sachin’s performance a “remarkable display of strength and determination”, PM Modi said that “India is proud of him”.

“Congratulations to Sachin Khilari for his incredible achievement at the #Paralympics2024! In a remarkable display of strength and determination, he has won a Silver medal in the Men’s Shotput F46 event. India is proud of him,” the Prime Minster posted.

Sharad Kumar and Mariyappan Thangavelu stun the world with their “high jump” of success

Adding more medals to the Indian tally on Tuesday, our para athletes Sharad Kumar and Mariyappan Thangavelu won the silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the men’s high jump T63 class at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. Notably, Sharad was infected with polio at the age of two.

Sharad Kumar, 32, soared to a height of 1.88m in the final but lost gold to Ezra Frech of the United States, who cleared 1.94m for a new Paralympic record. This was Sharad Kumar’s second Paralympic medal. He earned the bronze medal in Tokyo 2020 with a height of 1.83 meters.

“That was an amazing competition. All the athletes pushed each other to perform to the best, especially Ezra and myself. This was the toughest competition I have faced in my life. It was the greatest event I have ever attended,” Sharad said after winning silver.

Taking to X, PM Modi conveyed the nation’s greetings to Sharad and said: “Sharad Kumar wins Silver in Men’s High Jump T63 at #Paralympics2024! He is admired for his consistency and excellence. Congrats to him. He inspires the entire nation.”

Meanwhile, Mariyappan Thangavelu who won the bronze medal at the same event, had a bus run over him in a road accident, leaving him permanently disabled in the right leg at the age of five.

“Mariyappan Thangavelu, with a height of 1.85m, won the bronze medal. He also achieved the historic feat of becoming the first Indian para-athlete to win medals at three consecutive Games. He won the gold medal at Rio 2016 with a jump of 1.89m and silver at Tokyo 2020 with a 1.86m attempt,” an Olympics website article reads.

“Congratulations to Mariyappan Thangavelu on winning the Bronze medal in the Men’s High Jump T63 event. It is commendable that he has won medals in three consecutive editions of the Paralympics. His skills, consistency and determination are exceptional,” PM Modi said.

Sumit Antil: The first male Indian para-athlete to defend the title, wins gold

On Monday, Sumit Antil won the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw F64 class at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. The 26-year-old para-athlete became the first Indian male para-athlete to defend his title in the Paralympics. He achieved the feat with a new Paralympic record of 70.59m at the Stade de France breaking his previous record.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with Paris Paralympics medal winners Sumit Antil and others including Yogesh Kathuniya, Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar. He congratulated them on their victory.

In a first, Avani Lekhara wins two gold medals at Paralympics  

On the 30th of August, defending champion Avani Lekhara won gold in women’s 10m air rifle shooting. With this, Lekhara became the first Indian woman to win two gold medals in the Games’ history. The star para shooter scored 249.7 in the final – creating a new Paralympic record and also shattering the previous record of 249.6, set by her exactly three years ago on her Games debut at Tokyo games.

In a telephonic conversation with Lekhara, Prime Minister Modi congratulated her while Lekhara said that PM Modi’s words of motivation helped her negate the pressure during her event.

“Avani, many congratulations to you. You are constantly performing well and keep working hard,” PM Modi said.

To this, Avani replied, “This is my second Paralympics. I was a bit nervous. But you said that don’t play under the pressure of expectations and I followed it accordingly.”

Notably, PM Modi has congratulated several other athletes over the telephone after their wins. On 1st September, PM Modi held a telephonic conversation with the Indian medal winners in the Paris Paralympics till then. These included Mona Agarwal, Preethi Pal, Manish Narwal, and Rubina Francis. He congratulated each of the winners and said they had made the country proud with their performances.

PM Modi also spoke to Preethi Pal who became the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic medals in track and field events, having bagged a bronze in the women’s 200 T35 class at Paris Paralympics 2024 on Sunday.

Modi government’s efforts to support athletes

As discussed above, PM Modi has personally interacted with Paralympic athletes and congratulated them on their wins. Following significant victories, he regularly publishes on social media to acknowledge their accomplishments and recognise their hard work and commitment to their sport. PM Modi’s appreciation boosts the morale of the athletes and also provides them with wider recognition across the nation.

The Modi government has also launched key support programs and increased funding for Olympics and Paralympic athletes. Under the Modi government, programs like the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) have expanded to include Paralympic athletes. These efforts offer financial assistance, international-level coaching, physiotherapists, and dieticians to athletes preparing for worldwide events.

The government has significantly enhanced the training facilities and resources offered to Paralympic athletes. Modi’s administration has also sought to improve access to sports infrastructure for para-athletes, allowing them to train under better conditions.

Back in 2021 at the Tokyo Paralympics, Indian para-athletes scripted history by winning 19 medals in total, a tremendous jump from 4 medals in 2016. Back then, OpIndia reported about the 4 medalists praising the Modi government for ensuring that the sportspersons got whatever support they needed for their participation in the competition. Sharad Kumar, who won a bronze medal in the High Jump T63 event at the Tokyo Games, revealed that even athletes from the USA complimented the efforts the Indian government has made to provide support to para-athletes. He said such recognition and effort that the government has made is much bigger than any medal for the athletes.

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OpIndia Staff
OpIndia Staffhttps://www.opindia.com
Staff reporter at OpIndia

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