​Wide open: On India’s Paralympians  

Following the disappointment of several near-misses in the recent Olympics, India’s best-ever show of 29 medals for an 18th place finish in the Paris Paralympics is reason to celebrate. From four medals and 43rd spot in Rio 2016 to 19 medals and 24th rank in Tokyo 2020, this is a significant ascent and depicts the Indian Paralympians’ constant improvement in sync with the increased government support. Since the challenges are different, it may not be fair to compare the achievements of the para-athletes with those in the Olympics. India’s performance in the 2024 Paralympics reflects its para-athletes’ quest for excellence despite the unimaginable odds they face. Of the seven gold, nine silver and 13 bronze medals, the majority (17 in all), came from para-athletics. The javelin throwers and high jumpers contributed the most, with four medals in different categories classified as impairments. Para-badminton (five), para-shooting (four), para-archery (two) and para-judo (one) completed the country’s medal tally. Shooter Avani Lekhara and javelin thrower Sumit Antil, who set a new Paralympic record, defended their gold medals, high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu claimed his third successive medal, 17-year-old armless archer Sheetal Devi became the youngest Indian to win a medal and Harvinder Singh won the first para-archery gold.

Preethi Pal bagged India’s first-ever track medal as she picked up a bronze in women’s 100m T35 event followed by another in 200m and Kapil Parmar captured India’s first para-judo medal. Nagaland’s 40-year-old Army man Hokato Sema, who shone as a shot putter despite losing a leg in the line of duty in the prime of his youth, cornered glory to underscore the indomitable human spirit. Overall, the spectators’ response to the Paralympics 2024 was heart-warming — organisers sold over two million tickets for the Games. The Stade de France witnessed a near-capacity crowd thronging the iconic venue daily to watch and support the heroic efforts. It was a huge encouragement for the 4,400-plus para-athletes competing in 549 medal events in 22 sports and might contribute to the growth and acceptability of para-sports. It complemented the French authorities’ attempt to make the Paralympics more inclusive, which is apparent from the emblem, mascot, and motto — Games Wide Open — used for the Olympics. The successful conduct of the Paris Paralympics and the Indians’ praiseworthy performance should draw more government and corporate support for these athletes in India to ensure improved shows on the field and a better life as part of the mainstream.