India para athletes upped their game on the big stage as the country clinched five golds at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
The 2020 Tokyo Paralympics was a landmark event for India, with the country’s athletes securing an impressive 19 medals. This achievement not only marked India’s best-ever performance at the Paralympics but also highlighted the country’s growing prowess in various sports. The medal tally included five golds, eight silvers, and six bronzes, with contributions from athletes across a range of disciplines.
Bhavina Patel became the first Indian table tennis player to win a Paralympic medal. Competing in the women’s singles Class 4 category, Bhavina’s journey to the final was impressive. She overcame tough opponents, including reigning champion Borislava Rankovic Peric of Serbia and China’s Zhang Miao, before losing to world №1 Zhou Ying of China in the final, securing a silver medal.
Nishad Kumar equaled his personal best and set a new Asian record with a 2.06m jump in the men’s T47 high jump event. His performance earned him a silver medal, tied with Dallas Wise of the USA. The event saw USA’s Roderick Townsend-Roberts take gold with a world-record jump.
Avani Lekhara was one of the standout performers for India at the Tokyo Paralympics. She made history by winning gold in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event, setting a new Paralympic record and equaling the world record. Avani added to her tally with a bronze in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 event, making her the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic medals.
Devendra Jhajharia, already a two-time Paralympic gold medalist, added a silver to his collection in the men’s F46 javelin throw event. Jhajharia broke his own world record with a throw of 64.35m, but was surpassed by Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Herath, who set a new world and Paralympic record with a 67.79m throw.
Sundar Singh Gurjar secured a bronze medal in the men’s F46 javelin throw event, finishing behind Devendra Jhajharia. Gurjar’s best throw of 64.01m was also his season’s best, earning him his first Paralympic medal.
Yogesh Kathuniya claimed a silver medal in the men’s F56 discus throw event with a best throw of 44.58m. He was bested only by Brazil’s Claudiney Batista dos Santos, who set a new Paralympic record with a throw of 45.59m.
Sumit Antil dominated the men’s F64 javelin throw event, breaking his own world record three times during the final. His best throw of 68.55m, achieved on his fifth attempt, secured him the gold medal and set a new world record.
Singhraj Adhana earned two shooting medals at the Tokyo Paralympics. He won a bronze in the men’s 10m air pistol SH1 event with a score of 216.8. Singhraj followed this with a silver in the men’s 50m pistol SH1 event, finishing just behind compatriot Manish Narwal with a score of 216.7.
Mariyappan Thangavelu added a silver medal to his Paralympic achievements in the men’s T42 high jump event. He cleared 1.86m after three attempts but was unable to surpass the 1.88m mark, which secured the gold for USA’s Sam Grewe.
Sharad Kumar joined Mariyappan Thangavelu on the podium, winning bronze in the men’s T42 high jump event. Sharad cleared 1.83m on his first attempt, securing a medal before failing to clear the 1.86m mark.
Praveen Kumar won a silver medal in the men’s T64 high jump event with a personal best and new Asian record of 2.07m. He was only surpassed by Great Britain’s Jonathan Broom-Edwards, who took gold with a jump of 2.10m.
Harvinder Singh made history by winning India’s first-ever Paralympic archery medal. Competing in the men’s individual recurve open category, Harvinder defeated South Korea’s Kim Min Su in a thrilling shoot-off to win the bronze.
Manish Narwal claimed gold in the men’s 50m pistol SH1 event with a Paralympic record score of 218.2. Manish, who qualified for the final as the seventh-best shooter, delivered a remarkable performance to secure the top spot on the podium.
Pramod Bhagat became the first-ever Paralympic champion in men’s singles SL3 badminton, a sport making its Paralympic debut in Tokyo. Bhagat dropped only one game throughout the tournament, defeating Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell 21–14, 21–17 in the final.
Manoj Sarkar won the bronze medal in the men’s singles SL3 badminton category. After losing in the semi-finals to eventual silver-medalist Daniel Bethell, Sarkar defeated Japan’s Daisuke Fujihara in the bronze medal match to secure his place on the podium.
Suhas Yathiraj’s campaign in the men’s singles SL4 badminton event concluded with a silver medal. Yathiraj, an IAS officer, put up a strong fight in the final against France’s Lucas Mazur but was eventually defeated in three sets.
Krishna Nagar capped off India’s Tokyo Paralympics campaign with a gold medal in men’s singles SH6 badminton. In a tightly contested final against Hong Kong’s Chu Man Kai, Nagar emerged victorious with a 21–17, 16–21, 21–17 win, securing India’s fifth gold of the Games.
