India’s rise in Paralympic sports has been a story of patience and perseverance. After Petkar's historic gold in Heidelberg, it took another 12 years for India to return to the Paralympic podium at Innsbruck 1984, where the country won two silver and two bronze medals in Para athletics. However, the wait for another gold lasted two decades until Devendra Jhajharia clinched a javelin gold, and Rajinder Singh earned a bronze in powerlifting at Athens 2004. 

Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 were the Games that truly put India on the Paralympic map. Nineteen athletes from five sports traveled to Brazil in 2016, almost double the number of competitors at London 2012, and brought home three Para athletics medals. Jhajharia secured his second javelin gold, while Mariyappan Thangavelu won gold in the high jump. Deepa Malik made history as the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic medal with her silver in the shot put.

At Tokyo 2020, India sent its largest-ever delegation with 54 athletes competing in nine sports, leading to unprecedented success. In shooting Para sport, Avani Lekhara became the first Indian to win two Paralympic medals at a single Games, claiming gold in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event and bronze in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions SH1. Both Thangavelu and Jhajharia added silver medals to their previous golds, contributing to India’s record haul of 19 medals, including five golds, eight silvers, and six bronze.

Jaywant Hammanawar, Secretary General of the Indian Paralympic Committee, attributes this recent surge in success to government initiatives that support talented athletes. “Under the support of our prime minister, the Honourable Narendra Modi, the Paralympic movement in India is growing at tremendous pace,” Hammanawar explains. 

“The government under this leadership launched a top Olympic podium scheme which provides special support to medal hopefuls who are training for the Asian Para Games and Paralympic Games. This scheme has played a vital role in the growth of medal depth India has seen over the last decade.”

India’s Para athletes are entering Paris 2024 on a high note. At the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games, held in October 2023, 303 Indian athletes participated across 17 sports and secured a record-breaking 111 medals – the highest tally India has ever achieved at an international multi-sport event. Three Indian athletes set world records in Hangzhou: Gurjar Sundar Singh with a 68.6m throw in the javelin F46 event, Sumit Antil with a 73.29m throw in the javelin F64, and the men’s compound Para archery team scoring a world record 158 points.

Lekhara continued her dominance in shooting Para sport with a gold in the 10m air rifle standing SH1, while Indian athletes earned medals in diverse sports such as Para canoe, Para badminton, and Para powerlifting. The positive momentum extended to the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe earlier this year, where Simran claimed gold in the women’s 200m T12 final, alongside several other medals.

All these achievements set the stage for a strong Indian contingent at Paris 2024, expected to include around 35 athletes across 12 sports, who will be aiming for the podium in multiple events. “We have set our sights high for the years coming with the goal of bringing 25 to 30 medals, which would be our highest medal tally,” Hammanawar says. 

“Our athletes have been training hard and are ready to make us proud. We have high expectations in several events, especially in Para archery, Para athletics, and shooting Para sport. Our athletes have shown incredible skill and determination in their sports, and we believe that we will shine on the world stage.” 

“Our ultimate goal is to finish in the top five among all the participant countries. We know this is ambitious, but with the hard work and dedication of the team, we believe it is within our reach.”

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