This has been a good year for Indian sport (by which we don’t mean only cricket). This was India's best-ever performance at the Olympics; having bettered our 2012 performance by one medal. And after that, Indian athletes made their mark at the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo as well. This again has been India’s best-ever performance at the Paralympics:
With five gold medals, eight silver medals and six bronze medals, this has been India’s best showing at the Paralympics.
Avani Lekhara made a brilliant start with her shooting gold medal.
Two gold medals in badminton, one in javelin throw and one more in shooting were added to this.
Watching Pramod Bhagat's impaired gait, one could say he can’t walk but he can run! This absolute triumph of the human spirit in the face of severe odds like this is a powerful inspiration to most of us ‘normal’ people.
The Indian national anthem rang out five times at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Bhavina Patel was the first athlete to win a medal in this edition of the games. Her silver medal was the first of eight silver medals.
Apart from Patel’s early win, there were 7 other silver medals – there were three silvers in the high jump, one in discus throw, one in shooting and one in badminton.
This was India’s first medal in archery, individual recurve open. Indian Paralympians also won bronze medals in javelin throw, 10 mt air pistol, high jump, 50 mt shooting and badminton. Unfortunately, discus thrower Vinod Kumar lost his F52 category bronze medal after being found ineligible in the disability classification assessment.
Avani Lekhara not only won a gold medal in the ten mt rifle but also a bronze in the 50 mt rifle.
Each of the five Indian badminton players who went to the games reached the semifinal and returned with 2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze and 1 4th place.
This is the first time that India has broken into the top 25 of the Paralympics.
The fact that people with severe physical challenges managed to achieve what they did is an inspiration for the nation. Hopefully, this will also encourage a wider sporting culture in a country that reveres cricket.
Our 2020 Paralympics athletes from India may have overcome all odds to finish off with a best-ever medal tally, but our public spaces are still extremely unfriendly to people with disabilities. There is little or no thought going into designing pavements, lifts, parking, and public transport to make it possible for people with handicaps to independently navigate these spaces. This restricts their movement and choices and robs them of agency.
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