Tokyo take-off as India's para athletes deliver in style

What started with Bhavina Patel’s historic table tennis medal for India at the Tokyo Paralympics a week ago ended with a flourish - a gold and silver in badminton by the spirited Krishna Nagar and Suhas Yathiraj - on Sunday, swelling India’s medal count to 19 - five gold, eight silver and six bronze.

The landmark campaign saw India finish among the top 25 nations in the medal tally–at 24th–a feat that beat the wildest expectations. The performance is all the more special considering that India won only four medals at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, and had won only 12 medals overall since India first entered the 1968 Tel Aviv Paralympics. Ten of the medals from previous editions had come in athletics. Track and field still won India the bulk of the medals (8) in Tokyo, but new frontiers opened in shooting (5), badminton (4), table tennis (1) and archery (1).

That was because of India’s record participation in Tokyo - 54 para athletes (40 men, 14 women) in nine sports. In Rio, India fielded a 19-member contingent. In between, Indian para athletes performed strongly at the world stage, making podium finishes, breaking records and attaining top world rankings - all that translating into quotas for the Tokyo Games. There was promise of a medal surge but nobody was certain until the athletes broke the barriers. Each one had an inspiring story to share, had overcome numerous hurdles, and had conquered their deepest fears. In Tokyo, they all came together to make one bold statement, showing courage, passion and determination to prove themselves at the highest level.

Each one was a champion in his or her own right, many of them teenagers. There were many firsts, records were broken, teenage sensations and multiple medallists emerged, and old warhorses proved their mettle. At 18, Praveen Kumar was the youngest medallist, winning silver in high jump (T64).

Shooting 

Avani Lekhara, 19, was a picture of calm on the wheelchair as she shot down a gold and bronze in the ranges. She became the first Indian woman para athlete to win gold, in the women’s 10m air rifle (SH1). She added a bronze in the gruelling 50m rifle three position event. Paralysed waist down after a road accident while travelling with her family in 2012, Lekhara was inspired to take up shooting seriously after reading the autobiography of India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra.

“Even if I am able to inspire one person through my achievements, I will be most happy,” said Lekhara.

She has inspired countless in a week. The Jaipur girl is already a role model, having shown the resolve to bounce back after a tragic accident that turned her life upside down. Another 19-year-old, Manish Narwal, made a gritty comeback to clinch gold in mixed 50m pistol, with a Paralympic record score. India finished with a rare gold and silver with Adhana Singhraj, 20 years Narwal’s elder, coming second. Like Lekhara, Singhraj too won two medals, winning bronze in 10m air pistol (SH1).

Javelin

The 23-year-old Sumit Antil was equally sensational in javelin as India unearthed another star, Neeraj Chopra having captured the nation’s imagination by winning gold at the venue last month. Such was Antil’s domination (F64 category) that he bettered his world record thrice in six attempts, finishing way ahead of the field at 68.55m. Two more medals came in javelin (F46) - Devendra Jhajharia and Sundar Singh Gurjar.

Jhajharia, at 40, won his third Paralympics medal, adding silver to gold a 2004 Athens and 2016 Rio - a legend who has straddled generations to prove age is no bar. “This medal is for everyone who thought I cannot win a medal at this age,” said Jhajharia.

The only other gold medallist from Rio, Mariyappan Thangavelu also did not disappoint, claiming silver in high jump (T-63), Sharad Kumar winning the bronze.

Badminton

On the home stretch, badminton produced the high. The game made its Paralympic debut and Indian shuttlers shone with four of the seven-member contingent returning with individual medals. Pramod Bhagat lived up to his tag as world No. 1 in his category by winning gold on Saturday and Krishna Nagar too underlined his promise as a bright prospect with gold on Sunday. Suhas Yathiraj (silver) and Manoj Sarkar (bronze) added to the medal haul. 

Badminton holds great promise for the future. Palak Kohli, 19, qualified for three events and put on a creditable show in two (losing the singles quarter-finals and in the mixed doubles bronze medal match partnering Bhagat).

Chief national para coach Gaurav Khanna had painstakingly trained the players at his academy in Lucknow.

“We never stopped even during Covid times,” said Bhagat. “We were in a bubble, had our own court and trained for the Paralympics. We dreamt together and fulfilled it in Tokyo,” said the world and Paralympic champion. 

It will be a fresh start for the para athletes. Expectations will soar and Paris will arrive in three years. The Asian Youth Para Games is scheduled in Bahrain this December, the Asian Para Games and other top international events next year.

“I believe this is just the beginning. By the time the Paris Paralympics happen, all our junior para athletes who have been supported will be in action. I can confidently say we’ll win even more medals in Paris,” said Jhajharia.

Transformation

“From 2016, there has been an atmosphere which is accepting towards para sports. People looked up to para sports as a prestigious platform to empower themselves. Policies have become more inclusive. This whole acceptance of para sports as mainstream sports, where the athlete has been put on a par, has made a huge difference. We (Paralympic Committee of India) ourselves have regrouped,” said PCI president Deepa Malik.

“Coaches have understood they need to take a very scientific approach. They’re more accepting of sports science. They are asking for physios, injury management, performance tests, fitness and conditioning coach,” said Malik, who won silver in women’s shot put at Rio.

Paris 2024

PCI wants to chart out a schedule for the Paris Paralympics early. It wants to host the national championships this month so that athletes can prepare for the Bahrain event.

“We pray that the pandemic is not obstructive as it was in the last two years, and the athletes can start training in the correct events and classifications. We have some plans and are hoping that more stakeholders come forward, hold our hands and give us financial support, because the sports ministry’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme is only for elite athletes and we (PCI) are responsible to create and identify new talent. That is the aim right now,” said Malik.

“We have to hold national championships and selection trials before the Bahrain event. We don’t want to hold our nationals at the end of year because then everything will be delayed.”

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