India closes 2020 Paralympic Games with historic 19-medal finish
By Ryan General
India concluded its
All-time high: The 54-strong Indian contingent finished 24th in the overall standing, winning five gold, eight silver, and six bronze medals, NDTV reported. Prior to the 2020 Paralympics, India had won a total of 12 medals since its first appearance at the Paralympics in 1968.
- Avani Lekhara, who represented India in the women’s 10-meter air rifle standing (SH1), made history as the first woman from India to win gold in the Paralympics.
- Pramod Bhagat, ranked number one in the world in para-badminton men’s singles (SL3), scored another gold for India in his event.
- Sumit Antil won the gold in the men’s javelin throw (F64) after hurling the javelin in the record-breaking distance of 68.55 meters (224.9 feet).
- Rounding up the gold medal tally are Krishna Nagar and Manish Narwal, who each won a gold medal in the men’s singles badminton (SH6) and the mixed 50-meter pistol (SH1), respectively.
Record-breakers: In addition to Antil’s multiple record-breaking javelin throws, other Indian medalists set their own records during the Paralympic games.
- Lekhara matched the world record while setting the Paralympic record, after scoring 249.6 points in women’s 10-meter air rifle standing (SH1).
- Narwal set the Paralympic record in the mixed 50-meter pistol (SH1) with a score of 218.2.
- Nishad Kumar, who won the silver medal in the men’s high jump (T47), set a new record for Asians after clearing the bar set at 2.06 meters (6.75 feet).
- Praveen Kumar, who grabbed a silver medal in the men’s high jump (T64), also set the Asian record in his category by clearing the bar at 2.07 meters (6.79 feet).
The Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020, which ran from Aug. 24 to Sept. 5, saw China dominating the medal tally with 207 total medals, followed by the U.K. and the U.S. with 124 and 104 total medals, respectively.
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