Differently-abled but exceptionally resolute, India’s para-athletes will have a pleasant and proud time when they look back at their Paralympics campaign with awe as most of the established names lived up to expectations and many talented youngsters made the big stage their own cradle in creating a record-smashing medal haul of 29.
Seven of these 29 medals were gold, which is another first for the country that started to make its presence felt only in the 2016 edition, where it won four medals. The upswing in performance after that has been meteoric with Tokyo yielding 19, a number that was surpassed this time!
One must remember that a lot of medal-winning performances here were record efforts and personal bests, revealing the fact that athletes have made significant progress as far as their self-belief and positivity are concerned.
The 29 medals in five sports, including a whopping 17 at the track and field events, also ensured that the country ended in the top 20 of the mega Games.
THE RIO GAMES
As discussed above, the Rio 2016 Paralympics was a turning point for the country and its athletes.
The country won four medals—two gold, one silver and one bronze—setting a new benchmark for Indian para-athletes.
And it is needless to say that one of the most inspiring moments was when Dr Deepa Malik became the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic medal, securing silver in the F53 shot put. Her masterpiece achievement not only brought pride to the nation but also highlighted the need for a huge change in the mindset for gender representation in para-sports.
It must be noted here that athletes like Dr Malik, Devendra Jhajharia, and Mariyappan Thangavelu were henceforth no longer viewed with sympathy. They were instead celebrated as elite athletes whose determination will echo across the country for generations.
The Covid pandemic brought in a lot of changes and hence the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics was unique as there were no live spectators, but still Indian athletes in a historic show managed a 19-medal haul, including five golds.
This success, it must be mentioned, was a joint effort of the relentless hard work of the athletes and a planned process-driven approach which was being implemented for some time.
While we discuss our endeavour to achieve more and the hunger to win has increased, it must be noted that over the years, the government, especially the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Sports Authority of India (SAI), began recognising the potential of para-athletes through special programmes like Khelo India. This, combined with the increasing involvement of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, created a foundation for para-sports. It is important to note that major companies like JSW Sports, Indian Oil, and many others have begun sponsoring para-athletes.
The collaboration between the government, the corporate sector, and NGOs have led to better training facilities, international exposure, and a steady rise honing the athletes’ talents. The Indian government invested Rs 74 crore in the Paris cycle - more than double the amount spent for Tokyo 2021.
And respectively these changes have started showing results both nationally and globally.
Imagine the fact; India had won a total of 12 medals from their Paralympic debut in 1968 to 2016, winning four of those medals in Rio de Janeiro eight years back. However, in the next two editions of the Games in Tokyo and Paris, India witnessed a massive turnaround in India’s performance with the nation bagging 48 medals, taking its overall haul to 60!
Even if India has not been able to breach the double-digit barrier in terms of medals won in the Olympics, in the Paralympics not only have our athletes achieved that feat twice in a row, they managed to finish among the top 20 in Paris this time around.
However, in Paris the energy and the aura were different; our athletes no longer needed to prove themselves—they trooped on to the global stage as new-age athletes who carried the beacon of hope for many back home.
Avani Lekhara defended her gold in the 10m air rifle standing SH1 with a world-record performance, while Sumit Antil made history by becoming the first Indian man to defend his javelin title. Meanwhile, young stars like Sheetal Devi, who became India’s youngest Paralympic medallist at 17, and Mariyappan Thangavelu, who won a bronze in his third consecutive Paralympics, are testament to a new revitalised India. Also, the return of live spectators transformed the Games into a celebration.
INDIA’S FIRST APPEARANCE AT THE PARALYMPICS
India made its first appearance at the Paralympics in the 1968 Games organised in Tel Aviv. It had sent a delegation of 10 athletes but was unable to secure a single medal. It did not take part in the 1976 and 1980 editions of the Games, but returned in the 1984 edition. It may be noted that India has participated in every Paralympics since then.
INDIA’S PERFORMANCE?
India has had a mixed record at the Paralympics, having taken part in 12 editions so far. It has won 31 medals - 9 gold, 12 silver and 10 bronze medals. After winning four medals in the 1984 edition, India did not bag a single medal in the next four editions. The drought ended with Devendra Jhajharia winning gold in javelin throw and Rajinder Singh winning bronze in powerlifting at the 2004 Athens Paralympics.
India’s first gold medallist
Murlikant Petkar bagged India’s first-ever Paralympic medal during the 1972 edition in Heidelberg. Petkar won the gold medal in the men’s 50m freestyle 3 swimming event. He did so by setting a then-world record time of 37.33 second.
India had its best performance in Paralympic history at the 2020 Tokyo Games. It took home 19 medals - five gold, eight silver, and six bronze medals. Avani Lekhara became the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold (medal) when she came first in the women’s 10m air rifle shooting standing SH1 event. India also won another shooting gold, two gold medals in badminton, and one in athletics.
TIME TO LOOK AHEAD
Many coaches believe that with continued support, India could sit pretty in the top 5 slots of the medal tally at the Los Angeles Paralympics in 2028. This may sound to be a bold statement, but it reflects the confidence of these athletes and coaches and the respective institutes involved. These athletes will henceforth become special envoys of hope and be able to inspire a whole new generation of special athletes and rekindle hope in the lives of countless many.
(Writer is a senior journalist and former Senior Associate Editor, O Heraldo, Goa)