India won total 19 medals in the Tokyo Paralympics 2020 and finishes at 24th position in the medal tally. It includes 5 gold, 8 silver and 6 bronze medals. Avani Lekhara and Singhraj Adhana are the multiple medallists in this paralympics.
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| On top left Avani Lekhara, second on left side Manish Narwal, Pramod Bhagat at last on the left side, Sumit Antil on top right and Krishna Nagar on second at right side |
India creates history in the Tokyo paralympics 2020. India finishes at 24th position with historic 19 medals. This paralympics proves India’s best ever paralympics. Total 19 medals include 5 gold, 8 silver and 6 bronze medals.
In the Rio 2016 paralympics, India had won just four medals and In 2012 London paralympics just one medal. But this time India finished in Top 25. It can be new change in the sports history of India. Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said, “Phenomenal Rise of Indian Paralympians! A New Era has Begun.”
India outperformed not only in Paralympics but also in Tokyo Olympics 2020. In the Olympics, India won total 7 medals which includes one gold, two silver and 4 bronze medals, finished at 48th position in the medal tally. Hence, Tokyo 2020 is one of the best olympics and paralympics of India.
From the 1972 paralympics, India’s overall total medals were 12 till Rio paralympics 2016 while India won total 19 medals in the single Tokyo paralympics. In this paralympics, Avani Lekhara and Singhraj Adhana are also two multiple-medallists.
Tokyo Paralympics 2020:- Complete list of Indian paralympic medallists
List of Gold medallists
Avani Lekhara:- The 19 year old Avani Lekhara won India’s first ever gold medal in shooting. She won this medal in 10m air rifle standing with the total score of 249.6m which is a paralympic record and equal to world record. She becomes first Indian woman to win gold medal in the paralympics. In 2012, she met with a car accident, left her with complete paraplegia. She inspired after reading the biography of Abhinav Bindra who is the Indian Olympic gold medallist. She started shooting in 2015 in Jaipur.
Sumit Antil:- Sumit Antil won gold medal in Javelin throw F64 event and set new world record thrice in this event. His first throw was 66.95m which was a new world record and his second throw was 68.08m which smashed his previous record. His fifth and best throw was 68.85m and it was also a new world record. Initially, he wanted to be wrestler but In 2015 he met with an accident when he was returning from tuition on a bike. Doctors had no other option but to amputate his leg below the knee. That accident lost his hope to become wrestler but after the accident he started playing Javelin throw and won gold medal for India.
Manish Narwal:- The 19 year old para pistol shooter Manish Narwal won gold medal in P4 mixed 50m pistol SH1 event with the total score of 218.2 and set a new paralympic record. He has an impairment to his right hand. He always wanted to be footballer but due to impairment he couldn’t play the game beyond local club level. On his father’s friend advice, his father took Narwal to shooting academy in Ballabhgarh. He is the recepient of Arjuna award in 2020.
Pramod Bhagat:- The world no.1 para badminton player Pramod Bhagat won gold medal in men’s singles SL3. 33 year old Pramod beat Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell 21-14 and 21-17 in the gold medal match. He is one of the best Indian para shuttlers. When he was five years old, he developed a defect on his left leg. He played his first tournament at the age of 15. In 2019, he received Arjuna award.
Krishna Nagar:- The 22 year old Krishna Nagar won gold medal on the last day of Tokyo paralympics in men’s singles badminton SH6 event. He beat Hong Kong’s Chu Man Kai 21-17, 16-21 and 21-17 in the gold medal match. He has a short stature impairment which his family became aware of when he was two. He had won bronze medal in 2018 Para Asian games in Indonesia. In 2019 Para badminton world championships, he won silver medal in the men’s doubles event and also won bronze in the singles event.
List of Silver Medallists
Bhavinaben Hasmukhbai Patel:- The 34 year old para table-tennis player Bhavinaben won silver medal in women’s singles class 4 category. She lost from world champion China’s Zhou Ying 0-3 in the gold medal match and she had to settle with silver. Before reaching to the final, she had beaten Rio silver medallist Zhang Miao and Rio gold medallist Borislava Peric Rankovic of Serbia. She becomes first Indian woman to win medal in the table-tennis.
Nishad Kumar:- He won silver medal in high jump T47 event with the best jump of 2.06m and created new Asian record. Nishad met with an accident at the age of 8 which resulted in the loss of his right hand. He began competing in para athletics in 2009.
Yogesh Kathuniya:- Yogesh Kathuniya clinched silver medal in men’s discus throw F56 event with the best throw of 44.38m. He experienced paralytic attack at the age of 8 that resulted in impaired co-ordination in his limbs. He took up the sport at age 20 in Bahadurgarh, India.
Devendra Jhajharia:- He bagged silver medal in javelin throw F46 event with the best throw of 64.35m. This is his third medal in the paralympics. He had won gold medal in 2004 and 2016 paralympics but this time he settled with the silver. He is the only Indian paralympian who won two gold medals in the paralympics.
Mariyappan Thangavelu:- 26 year old Thangavelu won silver medal in men’s high jump T63 event with the jump of 1.86m mark. He is also the gold medallist of Rio 2016 paralympics.
Praveen Kumar:- 18 year old Praveen Kumar clinched silver medal in men’s high jump T64 event by clearing the mark of 2.07m and created new asian record. He has a congenital impairment that affects the bones which connect his hip to his left leg.
Singhraj Adhana:- The Indian para shooter bagged silver medal in men’s 50m pistol SH1 event with the total score of 216.7.
Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj:- The DM of Noida, India Yathiraj won silver medal in men’s singles SL4. 38 year old Yathiraj lost from two times world champion France’s Lucas Mazur 21-15, 17-21 and 15-21 in the gold medal match. He has an impairment in one of his ankles.
List of Bronze medallists
Sundar Singh Gurjar:- 25 year old Sundar Singh Gurjar clinched bronze medal in men’s javelin throw F46 event with the best throw of 64.01m. He began throwing the javelin in 2012. He lost his left hand in 2015 after a metal sheet was dropped on him at his friends house. After recovery, he started playing para athletics. He faced biggest disappointment in Rio 2016 when he was getting late to register due to miscommunication.
Singhraj Adhana:- 39 year old Singhraj Adhana won two medals in single paralympics. Besides silver medal, he also won bronze medal in shooting P1 men’s 10m air pistol SH1 event with the total score of 216.8. With this medal, he comes in the list of multiple medallists of India.
Sharad Kumar:- 29 year old Sharad Kumar bagged bronze medal in men’s high jump T63 event. He made his international debut at the 2010 Asian para games. He has impaired muscle power which is the result of the effects of polio, diagnosed at age two.
Avani Lekhara:- She becomes first Indian woman to win multiple medals in the paralympics. Besides gold medal, she also won bronze medal in women’s 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 event. In the Tokyo paralympics, Singhraj Adhana and Avani Lekhara become two multiple-medallists.
Harvinder Singh:- Harvinder Singh becomes first ever Indian archer to win medal in the archery. He clinched bronze medal in the men’s individual recurve open after beating South Korea’s Kim Min Su 6-5 in the shoot off.
Manoj Sarkar:- Manoj Sarkar defeated Japan’s Daisuke Fujihara 22-20 and 21-13 to clinch bronze medal in men’s singles SL3 event. Manoj’s right leg was affected after he contracted polio at age one. He took up badminton at the age of five. In 2018, he received Arjuna award from the Indian government.