This year Paralympics performance of Indian players has created a mark in the history of sports in India. The games at Paralympics are specifically designed for differently able athletics and is held after every four years since 1960. India participated in the Paralympic games from 1984, and there is no looking back after that. India has consistently participated in all the summer games after 1984 and we got to witness some real talents. The most notable event in the history of the Indian Paralympic performance is in 2016 when our country won four medals in a row.
But nothing beats the performance of 2020 Indian Paralympians. This is the first time when our country has bagged 19 medals. Yes, you heard that right! It is a legendary achievement indeed, as it is more numbers of medals won in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics than all the medals put together to date. So, let’s take a look at some of the champions who made it possible for India to stand out in this event.
Sumit Antil
Sumit, a talented athlete from Khewra, Sonipat Haryana won a gold medal in the men’s F64 category at Tokyo Paralympics 2020 and also made a record-breaking throw of 68.55 m in the final. He lost his left leg in a bike accident back in 2015. But his journey to being an athlete never stopped despite this incident. He won a silver medal in the 2019 Para-athletics Grand Prix that took place in Italy. He is an inspiration to many young athletics who are pursuing a career in this field.
Avani Lekhara
The Paralympics in India witnessed another amazing performance from Avani Lekhara. She bagged two gold medals in a row at Paralympics 2020, also becoming the first woman athletic to win a gold medal in Paralympics. She broke all records by scoring 249.6 in a 10 m air rifle and set a new benchmark in the record of Paralympics
Her journey to becoming a Paralympian is not been easy, as she lost control over her low extremities in a car accident in 2012. But she never gave up on herself, also her father stood by her side like a rock and supported her every move and the result is in front of us. She proved that self-confidence and hard work always pay off.
Pramod Bhagat
Pramod Bhagat is the other player with Manish narwal who brought the honour of winning gold on the 12th day of the Paralympics in India. Currently, he is the leading player in the category of para-badminton men’s singles.
At the early age of 5, he was diagnosed with a problem in his left leg. But this drawback never stopped him from chasing his dream of becoming an athlete. Before winning his first gold medal in Paralympics this year Pramod is already a known name in badminton sports in India. He bagged 3 gold medals, 2 bronze medals and 5 bronze in international events.
Bhavinaben Patel
Another proud moment for India was when Bhavinaben Patel won a silver medal for the Paralympics in India. She competed in table tennis for women’s singles in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and is also the first player to finish on the podium.
Bhavina, a girl from Mehsana, Gujrat had too gone through a tough time to reach the place she is in now. She was diagnosed with polio as an infant and was playing table tennis in a wheelchair for the whole time in her life. Despite such hardship, she took part in various international sports events like the PTT Thailand table tennis championship and won a silver medal. Also, she was ranked second in the world for her performance in the Asian Para Table Tennis Championship in 2011.
Life always throws hard balls at us but the way to handle that situation depends on us. These talented athletes are living example who faced their fear head on and brought honour for our country with their hard work. They are the true inspiration for our future generations!
