Top 15 Indian athletes with most medals won at Paralympics

Published at :September 6, 2024 at 5:00 PM

Modified at :September 9, 2024 at 5:34 PM

Avani Lekhara became the first Indian women multi multi-medallist at Tokyo in 2020.

India made its Paralympic debut at the 1968 Paralympics. After participating in 1968 and 1972, India did not compete in the 1976 and 1980 Paralympics. Since 1984, India has consistently participated in every Summer Para Games. Murlikant Petkar won India’s first Paralympic medal in 1972 in the men’s 50m freestyle 3 in swimming. He secured the gold medal by setting a then new world record of 37.331 seconds.

In the 1984 Summer Para Games, India won four medals (two silver and two bronze). After a 20-year gap, India ended the drought by winning two medals (one gold and one bronze) in 2004. However, India failed to win a medal in the 2008 Paralympics.

Since 2012, India has won medals in every edition. Girisha Nagarajegowda won the silver medal in the 2012 Para Games. In 2016, India secured four medals (two gold, one silver, one bronze). The Tokyo 2020 Para Games marked a revolution in Indian sports, with India winning a record 19 medals (five gold, eight silver, and six bronze).

15 athletes have won multiple medals at the Paralympics for India. Let’s take a look at the top 15 multiple medalists for India in the Paralympics:

Indian athletes with most medals won at Paralympics

Sundar Singh Gurjar (2 medals)

Sundar Singh Gujrar had a painful debut at Paralympics. He was 52 seconds late to reach the call room which resulted in a disqualification at Rio in 2016. But Gujrar came back to win bronze in men’s javelin throw F46 with a throw of 64.01m at Tokyo in 2020. At Paris Paralympics 2024, he registered a season best of 64.96m to finish third in men’s javelin throw F46.

Sharad Kumar (2 medals)

Sharad Kumar had made his Olympic debut at Rio in 2016. He won his first medal a bronze at Tokyo in 2020 in men’s high Jump T63 with a best attempt of 1.83. He further improved his mark at Paris Paralympics 2024. Kumar set a Paralympic record of 1.88 to win silver in men’s T63 high jump.

Suhas Yathiraj (2 medals)

Suhas Yathiraj became the first Indian badminton player to win mutliple Paralympic medals. He won silver in men’s singles SL4 at Tokyo Paralympics in 2020. At the age of 41, he won his second medal at Paris Paralympics 2024. Yathiraj clinched silver in men’s singles SL4.

Yogesh Kathuniya (2 medals)

Yogesh Kathuniya had won his first Paralympic medal at Tokyo in 2020 in men’s F56 discus throw. He clinched silver with a throw of 44.38m. At Paris Paralympics 2024, Kathuniya proudced a season best throw of 42.22m to again finish second in men’s F56 discus throw.

Nishad Kumar (2 medals)

Nishad Kumar had set an Asian record of 2.06m while winning silver in the men’s T47 high jump at Tokyo Olympics 2020. He won his second medal during Paris Paralympics 2024 in the same event. Kumar cleared 2.04m to finish second.

Preethi Pal (2 medals)

Preethi Pal became India’s first track medallist at the Paris Paralympics 2024. She won bronze in women’s T35 100m event with a timing of 14.21 seconds. Pal later went on finish third in women’s T35 200m event while clocking 30.01 seconds.

Harvinder Singh (2 medals)

Harvinder Singh set multiple records in Archery for India in Paralympics. At Tokyo, he won bronze to become India’s first archer to win a medal in Paralympics. At Paris Paralympics 2024, Harvinder went on to become the gold medallist in Individual Recurve Open. He is the first Indian archer to win a gold medal at Paralympics.

Manish Narwal (2 Medals)

Manish Narwal became the sixth Indian to win mutliple medals at the Paralympics. The para shooter won gold in mixed 50m Pistol SH1 at Tokyo Paralympics 2020 while setting a paralympic record of 218.2.

At Paris Paralympics 2024, Narwal produced yet another historic performance while winning silver in men’s 10m Air Pistol SH1 with a score of 234.9.

Singhraj Adhana (2 Medals)

Singhraj Adhana became the fourth Indian to win multiple medals at the Paralympics and the third Indian to win multiple medals in the same edition. He won one silver and one bronze medal in shooting.

His first medal came in Men’s P1 10-metre air pistol SH1, where he won the bronze medal. He then won the silver medal in the Mixed P4 50-metre pistol SH1 category, where his compatriot Manish Narwal won the gold medal.

Praveen Kumar (2 medals)

Praveen Kumar at the age of 18 clinched silver in men’s T64 high jump event by clearing 2.07m at Tokyo. He was India’s youngest Paralympic medallist at the Tokyo games in 2020. Kumar went on to soar even higher at Paris Paralympics 2024.

The Indian set an area record of 2.08m to win gold in men’s high jump T64 at Paris. He began his campaign by clearing 1.89m and even tried clearing 2.10m.

Sumit Antil (2 medals)

Sumit Antil had the best start to his Paralympics career. He broke the world record thrice to win gold in men’s Javelin Throw – F64 with a throw of 68.55m. Antil won his second gold at Paris Paralympics 2024. With a best throw of 70.59m, he set a new Paralympic record by winning the gold medal in men’s javelin throw F64.

Also read: Top five Paralympic athletes who finished fourth

Joginder Singh Bedi (3 Medals)

Joginder Singh Bedi was the first Indian to win multiple medals at the Paralympics, achieving this feat in a single edition. At the 1984 Paralympics, he won one silver and two bronze medals. He secured silver in the men’s shot put L6 category and bronze in the men’s javelin L6 and men’s discus throw L6 categories.

Mariyappan Thangavelu (3 Medals)

Mariyappan was the third Indian to win multiple medals at the Paralympics. He won one gold and one silver medal in the men’s high jump F42 and T63 categories, respectively. In the 2016 Rio Paralympics, he secured India’s first gold medal with a best jump of 1.89m. He has also been honored with the Arjuna Award in 2017 and the Major Dhyan Chand Award in 2020.

In the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, he claimed the silver medal with a best jump of 1.86m. Thangavelu continued winning medals as he claimed his third at Paris Paralympics 2024. With a best attempt of 1.85m he won bronze in men’s high jump T63.

Avani Lekhara (3 Medals)

Avani became the first Indian woman to win multiple medals at the Paralympics and the second Indian to win multiple medals in the same edition. She also made history as the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Paralympics. The young para shooter continued making history as she became the third Indian to win three medals at the Paralympics.

She won one gold and one bronze medal at the Tokyo Paralympics in shooting, becoming the first Indian shooting medalist. She secured gold in Women’s R2 10-metre air rifle standing SH1 and bronze in Women’s R8 50-metre rifle 3 positions SH1 categories. At Paris Paralympics 2024, she won gold in Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1.

Devendra Jhajharia (3 Medals)

Devendra Jhajharia, the most decorated Indian Paralympian, became the second Indian to win multiple medals at the Paralympics. He won two gold and one silver medal in the men’s javelin throw F46 category. Devendra was the second Indian to win a gold medal, achieving this in 2004 with a world record throw.

In 2016, he again won gold, breaking his own world record and becoming the first Indian to win multiple gold medals. In 2020, he won the silver medal with a personal best throw. He was also elected as the President of the Paralympic Committee of India.

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