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India’s six gold medalists at Paris Paralympics 2024
As India keeps bettering its previous Para Games records with a plethora of medals, let’s have a look at the 6 athletes who made the country proudest in Paris
A new chapter was added to India’s Paralympic history after high jumper Praveen Kumar won a gold medal on Friday. Competing in the T64 category, the 21-year-old para athlete clinched the yellow metal after clearing 2.08m. It was his second consecutive Para Games medal, improving upon a silver in Tokyo 2020.
Praveen’s feat added the 26th medal to India’s tally in the ongoing Paralympic Games in Paris. India is currently placed 14th in the medal tally, with a total of 6 gold medals, 9 silver and 11 bronze medals.
As India keeps bettering its previous Para Games records with a plethora of medals, let’s have a look at the 6 athletes who made the country proudest in Paris
Avani Lekhara (Shooting): Defending her shooting gold won in Tokyo, Lekhara in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle SH-1. She shot a superb 249.7 to better her own record of 249.6 set in the Japanese capital three years ago. Avani, who is wheelchair-bound after a car mishap left her paralysed below the waist when she was 11 years old, had become the first woman shooter from the country to win medals in shooting at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.
Sumit Antil (Javelin): Just like Lekhara, para javelin thrower Sumit Antil also defended his Tokyo 2020 gold. He became the first Indian man and second from the country to defend the title as he won the F64 category gold with a Paralympics record of 70.59m at the Paris Games. The 26-year-old world record holder from Sonipat in Haryana bettered his own earlier Paralympic best of 68.55m set in Tokyo while winning the gold three years ago.
Harvinder Singh (Archery): Tokyo Games bronze-winner Harvinder Singh became the first Indian archer to win a gold medal at the Paralympics, beating Poland’s Lukasz Ciszek in Men’s individual recurve open. He won five back-to-back matches in a single day, showing neither fatigue nor nerves to etch his name in history and clinch India’s second medal in archery.
Nitesh Kumar (Badminton):  Para shuttler Kumar Nitesh clinched his maiden gold medal at the Paralympics, defeating Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell in a gripping men’s singles SL3 final. The 29-year-old from Haryana showcased incredible resilience defeating his British opponent 21-14 18-21 23-21.
Dharambir (Club Throw): Dharambir smashed the Asian record to claim the gold medal in men’s club throw F-51. The 35-year-old hurled the club to a distance of 34.92m after four fouled attempts, claiming the top spot on the podium.
Praveen Kumar: The 21-year-old was the latest entrant in the gold medal club, setting a new Asian record of 2.08m in the T64 category. Kumar clinched the top honours ahead of USA’s Derek Loccident (2.06m) and Uzbekistan’s Temurbek Giyazov (2.03m).
