Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted the Indian contingent from the Paris Paralympics at his residence, 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, in New Delhi on Thursday. The meeting included the presence of Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse, and Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) president Devendra Jhajharia.
Interaction with the Paralympians
PM Modi took time to interact with the Indian Paralympians, who represented the country in the recently concluded Paris Paralympics. During this interaction, Paralympic gold medallist Avani Lekhara presented the Prime Minister with a signed Indian jersey, marking a moment of pride and achievement.
Delhi: PM Narendra Modi met with Paralympians at his residence today and interacted with them pic.twitter.com/vgfMDbSO4F
— IANS (@ians_india) September 12, 2024
India’s Record-Breaking Performance in Paris
India concluded the Paris Paralympics on a historic note, achieving a record haul of 29 medals, including seven gold, nine silver, and 13 bronze medals. This is India’s highest-ever medal tally in Paralympics history, surpassing the previous record of 19 medals from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. India finished in 18th position overall at the event.
Avani Lekhara’s Golden Achievement
Among the standout performances, para-shooter Avani Lekhara became the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic gold medals. She defended her women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 shooting title, setting a world record score of 249.7 points.
India’s Firsts and New Records
India made history in various events, including a one-two finish in para-athletics. Dharambir and Parnav Soorma won gold and silver, respectively, in the men’s club throw F51 event, marking India’s first-ever medals in this sport. Dharambir also set a new Asian record with a throw of 34.92 meters.
In the T64 high jump event, Praveen Kumar secured India’s sixth gold with an Asian record-breaking jump of 2.08 meters.
First-Ever Archery Champion and Javelin Record
India also celebrated its first-ever archery champion across the Olympics and Paralympics, with Harvinder Singh winning gold in individual recurve para-archery against Poland’s Lukasz Ciszek.
In javelin throw, Sumit Antil made history by becoming the first Indian male to defend his Paralympic title. He won back-to-back gold in the F64 event with a record-breaking throw of 70.59 meters, surpassing his previous record from Tokyo 2020 multiple times during the competition.
The Indian contingent’s remarkable performance in Paris has set a new benchmark for the country’s Paralympic achievements.