India’s dream Paralympics run in Paris with the third gold from Sumit Antil is almost nearing their record presence in the Tokyo Paralympics, one of India’s most successful attempts at the games. The Indian contingent won a record 19 medals last time at Tokyo with 5 gold medals.
This time around in Paris, India has already clinched 15 medals at the end of just Day 5, with Avani Lekhara being the first medalist for the nation, especially winning the gold medal, which she defended from Tokyo as she emerged as the first Indian Paralympian to do so.
India held their head high as the Paralympic team saw India’s first-ever double podium position, as in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing saw Avani with the gold, and in the same event, bronze went to Indian shooter Mona Agarwal.
At the beginning of Day 5, India had their medal tally at 7, with medal winners being Avani and Mona alongside Rubina Francis and Preethi Pal, the double Paralympic bronze medalist turned the first ever Indian field athlete to have done so.
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While Manish Narwal was India’s first silver medalist alongside Nishad Kumar, who did win the same silver medal at the men’s high jump.
On day 5, India claimed their first medal with Yogesh Kathuniya, who defended his silver in the men’s discus throw from the Tokyo Paralympics. Next was Nitesh Kumar, the Tokyo silver medalist who won his first-ever gold in the games, as he seemed unstoppable.
Sumit Antil again defended another javelin throw gold at Paris from Tokyo, while later, Thulasimathi Murugesan and Suhas Yathiraj both won the silver medal as they lost the finals they had already qualified for.
The Indian Olympians lacked a single badminton medal while the Paralympians had a bunch of them, as later 2 more bronze medals were added by para-badminton players Manisha Ramadass and Nithya Sre Sivan, who was making her debut in the Paris Paralympics.
The legendary Indian archery team of Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar won the bronze medal match in the Mixed Team compound open. India will now hope for Deepthi Jeevanji for a medal as she qualified for the finals.
