The country touched a new high at the Paralympic Games by winning its best-ever medal haul. The total medal tally included seven gold, nine silver, and thirteen bronze medals, with a total of 29 medals. India broke its earlier record of 19 medals from Tokyo 2020 to achieve its best record so far, while at the same time, the resilience and determination displayed by para-athletes have inspired people across the nation. This article will discuss some of the awe-inspiring stories of medal winners and their journeys defying all odds.
The Paralympic Games 2024 held in Paris from 28 August to 8 September were an incredible mix of athleticism and inclusion, as more than 4,400 para-athletes participated in 22 sports at iconic venues such as the Eiffel Tower and the Château de Versailles. India participated with its most significant contingent to date – 84 para-athletes – across 12 sports, including new entries in para-cycling, para-rowing, and blind judo. This witnessed a sharp increase from nine disciplines in which India competed at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. While India stood at the 18th position overall, China dominated the medal tally with 220 medals, of which 94 were gold.
Let us now delve into the stories of some of the most inspiring Indian medalists who made us all proud internationally.
Sheetal Devi: The Youngest Medalist
Sheetal Devi was born in 2007 with phocomelia, a rare congenital disorder leading to underdeveloped limbs. The condition resulted in her arms not fully forming. Fast forward to 2023, and Sheetal Devi’s achievements in archery are already in the headlines after just one season. In July 2023, she claimed a silver medal in the open women’s compound archery event at the World Archery Para Championships 2023 in the Czech Republic. She was the first female armless archer to win a medal at the Para World Championships.
The medal also helped Sheetal obtain a quota for India for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. At just 17 years old, Sheetal Devi became India’s youngest Paralympic medalist, winning Bronze in the Mixed Team Compound Open Archery event alongside Rakesh Kumar. Despite being armless, Sheetal uses her legs to shoot arrows, showcasing incredible skill. Her journey reflects her sheer grit and personal resilience.
Avani Lekhara: Shooting Star
Avani Lekhara created history by becoming the first Indian woman to win Two Gold medals at the Paralympics. She defended her title in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event and set a new world record, scoring 249.7 points. At the age of 11, she met with an accident that left her paralyzed below the waist. She never looked back after that traumatic incident and became the first-ever woman shooter from India to win a medal in the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021. Her story is quite inspiring because she persisted even with a grave spinal injury that made her wheelchair-bound. Lekhara’s achievements cement her status as an athlete and serve as a source of inspiration for many aspiring athletes across India.
Sumit Antil: The Javelin Star
Sumit Antil set a new Paralympic record by achieving a stunning throw of 70.59 meters in the Men’s Javelin Throw F64. The 26-year-old world record holder from Sonipat, Haryana, surpassed his previous Paralympic record of 68.55 meters, which he had set in Tokyo.
“When I will be at my peak, just once in life, I want to touch the 80m mark. I want to know how it feels when the javelin crosses that distance,” he said a day after defending his Paralympic Gold medal in Paris.
He says with conviction that at 26, he’s not yet at his peak. After losing his leg in an accident, he turned to sports to channel his energy and passion, only to later realize his profound talent at this. Sumit is truly one of the athletes to look up to for inspiration.
Mariyappan Thangavelu: A Consistent Performer
Mariyappan Thangavelu etched his name in history by becoming the first Indian to win medals at three consecutive Paralympics. Thangavelu, who is 1.85m tall, has secured Bronze in the Men’s High Jump T42, following his gold at Rio 2016 and silver at Tokyo 2020. Thangavelu’s consistency inspires many young athletes to pursue their dreams despite challenges. 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 in Rio 2016 with a jump of 1.89m and the silver medal in Tokyo 2020 with a 1.86m attempt.
Preethi Pal: Breaking New Ground in Track Events
Preethi Pal made history by winning India’s first-ever track event medal at the Paralympics, clinching Bronze in the Women’s 100m T35 and 200m T35 races. Preeti was born in 2000 with deformed feet in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. She trains at the SAI JLN Stadium in New Delhi, focusing on her performance in the T35 disability class, which includes coordination impairments such as hypertonia, ataxia, and athetosis.
In one of the interviews, she quoted, “People would say, ‘ek to ladki, upar se viklang'(She is a girl in the first place, and on top of that, she is born with a disability). I don’t think people were happy at my birth. Everyone wanted a boy.” She indeed taught them all a lesson about gender equality and determination.
Harvinder Singh: Archery Champion
Harvinder Singh, a 33-year-old para-archer from Haryana, India, made history by winning the country’s first Paralympic Gold medal in Archery at the Paris 2024 Paralympics Games in the men’s individual recurve event. This renowned para archer has a disability that affected his legs, which resulted from a medical mishap when he was just one and a half years old. After contracting dengue fever, he was administered an injection by a local doctor that severely impacted his mobility, leaving him unable to move his legs properly. Despite this challenge, Singh has excelled in archery, becoming a prominent para-athlete and winning multiple medals, including India’s first Paralympic medal in archery at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Nitesh Kumar – Badminton Player
Nitesh Kumar, who hails from Haryana, has made India proud by clinching the Men’s Singles SL3 Gold medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. In the year 2009, Kumar met with a train accident, which left him permanently disabled. It was during that time he realised his passion for badminton. Consequently, many accolades followed his dedicated pursuit, including medals at the World Championships, Asian Para Games, and the Para Badminton World Circuit. Kumar won the gold medal and a thrilling three-game final against Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell at the Paris Paralympics to consolidate his position as one of India’s top para-badminton athletes.
Did you know that Nitesh Kumar graduated from IIT Mandi? Amazing right!
Dharambir – Men’s Club Throw
Dharambir, a 35-year-old para-athlete from Sonepat, Haryana, won the Gold medal in the Men’s Club Throw F51 event at the 2024 Paris Paralympics with a record-breaking throw of 34.92 meters. His journey to this achievement was not without challenges; a diving accident in his youth left him paralyzed from the waist down, drastically changing his life.
Introduced to para sports in 2014 by fellow athlete Amit Kumar Saroha, Dharambir quickly embraced the sport and qualified for the Rio 2016 Paralympics. After four failed attempts during the finals, he delivered an outstanding fifth throw that secured him the gold and set a new Asian record. Dharambir’s triumph in Paris, alongside Pranav Soorma’s Silver medal, marked a historic moment for India, as it was the nation’s first gold in club throw at the Paralympics.
Navdeep Singh – Javelin Throw
Navdeep Singh is a talented para-athlete from Panipat, Haryana, made a great contribution at the Paris 2024 Paralympics by winning the Gold medal in the Men’s Javelin Throw F41 event with an impressive throw of 47.32 meters. Born in 2000, Navdeep faced numerous challenges, including dwarfism, standing at just 4 feet 4 inches tall.
His journey into para-athletics began in 2016, inspired by Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and further motivated by para-athlete Sandeep Chaudhary. After finishing fourth at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and earning a bronze medal at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championship, Navdeep was determined to excel in Paris. Initially awarded silver, he was upgraded to gold following the disqualification of Iran’s Beit Sadegh for unsporting conduct.
The Role of Government Support – India’s success at the Paris 2024 Paralympics can be attributed not only to the athletes’ hard work but also to increased government support for para-sports through initiatives like the Khelo India program, which provides a platform for budding athletes to showcase their talent, and the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), which identifies and supports potential medal winners. This support has dramatically enhanced training facilities and resources available for athletes to perform globally to the best of their abilities. Their achievements inspire more than one generation and challenge society’s perceptions about disabilities. In conclusion, the Paris 2024 Paralympics will be remembered not only for the medals won but also for the passion with which our Indian para-athletes have performed.
The table below shows the complete list of winners:
| No. | Athlete | Sport | Event | Medal |
| 1 | Avani Lekhara | Shooting | Women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 | Gold |
| 2 | Mona Agarwal | Shooting | Women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 | Bronze |
| 3 | Preethi Pal | Athletics | Women’s 100m T35 | Bronze |
| 4 | Manish Narwal | Shooting | Men’s 10m air pistol SH1 | Silver |
| 5 | Rubina Francis | Shooting | Women’s 10m Air Pistol SH1 | Bronze |
| 6 | Preethi Pal | Athletics | Women’s 200m T35 | Bronze |
| 7 | Nishad Kumar | Athletics | Men’s high jump T47 | Silver |
| 8 | Yogesh Kathuniya | Athletics | Men’s discus throw F56 | Silver |
| 9 | Nitesh Kumar | Badminton | Men’s singles SL3 | Gold |
| 10 | Thulasimathi Murugesan | Badminton | Women’s singles SU5 | Silver |
| 11 | Manisha Ramadass | Badminton | Women’s singles SU5 | Bronze |
| 12 | Suhas Yathiraj | Badminton | Men’s singles SL4 | Silver |
| 13 | Rakesh Kumar / Sheetal Devi | Archery | Mixed team compound open | Bronze |
| 14 | Sumit Antil | Athletics | Javelin throw F64 | Gold |
| 15 | Nithya Sre Sivan | Badminton | Women’s singles SH6 | Bronze |
| 16 | Deepthi Jeevanji | Athletics | Women’s 400m T20 | Bronze |
| 17 | Mariyappan Thangavelu | Athletics | Men’s high jump T63 | Bronze |
| 18 | Sharad Kumar | Athletics | Men’s high jump T63 | Silver |
| 19 | Ajeet Singh | Athletics | Men’s javelin throw F46 | Silver |
| 20 | Sundar Singh Gurjar | Athletics | Men’s javelin throw F46 | Bronze |
| 21 | Sachin Khilari | Athletics | Men’s shot put F46 | Silver |
| 22 | Harvinder Singh | Archery | Men’s individual recurve open | Gold |
| 23 | Dharambir | Athletics | Men’s club throw F51 | Gold |
| 24 | Parnav Soorma | Athletics | Men’s club throw F51 | Silver |
| 25 | Kapil Parmar | Judo | Men’s -60kg J1 | Bronze |
| 26 | Praveen Kumar | Athletics | Men’s high jump T64 | Gold |
| 27 | Hokato Hotozhe Sema | Athletics | Men’s shot put F57 | Bronze |
| 28 | Simran | Athletics | Women’s 200m T12 | Bronze |
| 29 | Navdeep Singh | Athletics | Men’s javelin throw F41 | Gold |