Paris Paralympics: Can India improve on their Tokyo medal rush?

A lot of expectations ride on the 84-member Indian Paralympics squad, the biggest contingent in history, as they leave for the Paris Paralympics this weekend. The upcoming edition of the Games, scheduled from 28 August to 8 September, will be held at the same venues as the Olympics.

It was a stellar show in Tokyo three years ago, where India returned a best-ever tally of 19 medals (five gold, eight silver and six bronze) that has given a huge boost to their prospects – raising expectations like never before. The likes of Sumit Antil, the reigning men’s champion in javelin throw or shooter Avani Lekhara, who became the first Indian woman to clinch a gold at the Paralympics -- are familiar names for Indian sports fans after their exploits.

Antil and Bhagyashri Jadhav, a shotput medal prospect, have been named as India’s flag bearers at the opening ceremony in Paris at an official send-off ceremony hosted by the Union Ministry of Sports & Youth Affairs in New Delhi on Friday. A javelin throw champion in the F64 category, Antil looks in good nick again as he has won the same event at the Para Athletics World Championships in May with a then a world record of 70.83 metres.

Bhagyashri, meanwhile, secured a silver medal in the shot put F34 category at the 2022 Asian Para Games. She finished seventh in her event in Tokyo but looks well poised for a medal this time as Bhagyashri won a silver at the Para Athletics World Championship in May.

The Tokyo haul had eclipsed India’s previous best medal tallies by a long chalk – four each at the Stoke Mandeville and New York Games in 1984 and Rio 2016, respectively. Shooting emerged as the biggest contributor with five medals, followed by high jump and badminton with four each.

Devendra Jhajharia, India’s most decorated Paralympian with a silver in the men’s javelin throw F46 class in Tokyo (along with his two Paralympic gold medals at Athens 2004 and Rio 2016 Games), struck an upbeat note in his role as the new president of Paralympic Committee of India (PCI). ‘’We are very confident about the overall performance and are sure to win more than 25 medals,’’ Jhajharia said in a recent interview.

Flashback: Indian medallists in Tokyo Paralympics

Bhavina Patel - silver (women’s singles table tennis Class 4 category)

Nishad Kumar - silver (men’s high jump T47)

Avani Lekhara - gold (women’s 10m air rifle shooting standing SH1)

Devendra Jhajharia - silver (men’s javelin throw F46)

Sundar Singh Gurjar - bronze (men’s javelin throw F46)

Yogesh Kathuniya - silver (men’s discus throw F56)

Sumit Antil - gold (men’s javelin throw F64)

Singhraj Adhana - bronze (men's 10m air pistol shooting SH1)

Mariyappan Thangavelu - silver ( men’s high jump T42)

Sharad Kumar - bronze (men’s high jump T42)

Praveen Kumar - silver (men’s high jump T64)

Avani Lekhara - bronze (women’s 50m rifle 3 positions shooting SH1)

Harvinder Singh - bronze (men’s individual recurve - open archery)

Manish Narwal - gold (men’s 50m pistol SH1)

Singhraj Adhana - silver (men’s 50m pistol SH1)

Parmod Bhagat - gold (men’s singles badminton SL3)

Manoj Sarkar - bronze (men’s singles badminton SL3)

Suhas Yathiraj - silver (men’s singles badminton SL4)

Krishna Nagar - gold (men’s singles badminton SH6)