India to send biggest-ever contingent to Tokyo Paralympics
54 athletes, across nine disciplines, will represent India at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo
Tokyo 2020 turned out to be India’s most successful Olympics so far as they won seven medals, including a gold by Neeraj Chopra in javelin throw.
It is now time for the para athletes to take centre stage.
India will send the biggest-ever contingent to the Tokyo Paralympics, which begins on August 24. The country will field 54 athletes, across nine sporting disciplines, for the Games.
The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), chaired by former Paralympic medalist Deepa Malik, conducted two-day selection trials for track and field athletes at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
"We had to make some really bold decisions with regards to the welfare of the athletes. There was a difficult time in getting the trials done, to be able to make the SOP; we want to thank the Sports Authority of India," Malik, who won a silver medal in Shot Put at Rio 2016, was quoted saying by news agency ANI.
Though para athletes were largely neglected in India for a long time, things have started to change since the Paralympics in Rio back in 2016. India had sent their biggest contingent till then – 19 athletes in five sports—and returned with a record haul.
The country won four medals – two gold, one silver and one bronze. Mariyappan Thangavelu, who won a gold medal in men’s high jump at Rio 2016, will be India’s flagbearer for Tokyo 2020.
Devendra Jhajharia, who won a gold in Javelin at Rio, will also be part of the Indian contingent at Tokyo. The Indian contingent also features a record 10 para shooters including top pistol shooters Singhraj and Manish Narwal.