Five sports in which India has won most medals in Paralympics

Published at :September 9, 2024 at 5:36 PM

Modified at :September 9, 2024 at 5:36 PM

India has won most medals in Athletics at the Paralympics.

In recent years, India has emerged as a powerhouse in Paralympics, with athletes breaking barriers and setting new records on the global stage. The Paralympic Games, a major international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities, have become a platform for Indian para-athletes to show their talents across globe.

From the historic gold medal win by Murlikant Petkar in 1972 to the recent successes in Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, India has made significant strides in various Paralympic disciplines.

The nation’s athletes clinched medals in five new sports in Tokyo 2020 while three years later in Paris, India bagged its first medal in para judo. Paris Paralympics 2024 also saw India clinch its first-ever gold medal in apar-archery after Harvinder Singh won the men’s individual recurve open competition.

While athletics has been India’s biggest contributor to medals, sports like badminton and shooting have started delivering medals since Tokyo, where India won a whopping 19 medals in total. That number was easily surpassed three years later at Paris with the nation returning with 26 medals from that edition. This article highlights the five sports where India has clinched the most medals.

Sports with most medals for India at Paralympics

Swimming – 1 medal (1 gold)

India’s Paralympic journey started with a splash in the swimming pool. In 1972, Murlikant Petkar, a former soldier in the Indian Army, made history by winning India’s first-ever Paralympic gold medal. Competing in the 50m freestyle event at the Heidelberg Paralympics in Germany, Petkar not only clinched the gold but also set a world record with a time of 37.33 seconds.

Archery – 3 medals (1 gold, 2 bronze)

India’s success in Paralympic archery is a recent phenomenon, with the country securing its first medal in the sport at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Harvinder Singh made history by clinching a bronze medal in the men’s individual recurve – open event. Singh’s journey to the podium was nothing short of dramatic.

After reaching the semifinals, he lost to the eventual gold medalist but bounced back in the bronze medal match. In a nail-biting shoot-off against South Korea’s Kim Min Su.

The momentum continued at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, where the Indian mixed team of Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar added another bronze to the tally in the mixed team compound open event. Harvinder Singh then added glitter with a first-ever gold. He along with mixed team recurve partner Pooja Jatyan came close to winning another medal, but unfortunately finished fourth after losing in the shoot-off against Slovenia.

Shooting – 9 medals (3 Gold, 2 Silver, 4 Bronze)

Shooting has emerged as one of India’s strongest Paralympic sports, with athletes consistently hitting the mark on the global stage. Since the sport’s inclusion in the 2020 Tokyo Games, Indian shooters have amassed an impressive total of nine medals: 3 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze.

The breakthrough came at the Tokyo Paralympics, where Indian shooters claimed five medals in various events. Avani Lekhara became the toast of the nation by winning gold in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 and adding a bronze in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions SH1.

Manish Narwal contributed with a gold in the men’s 50m pistol SH1, while Singhraj Adhana secured silver in the same event and a bronze in the men’s 10m air pistol SH1.

The success story continued at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, with Avani Lekhara successfully defending her title and clinching another gold.

Badminton – 9 medals (3 Gold, 3 Silver, 3 Bronze)

Para-badminton made its Paralympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games, and Indian athletes wasted no time in making their mark. The sport, which is a variant of badminton for athletes with various physical disabilities, has quickly become a medal-rich discipline for India. In its inaugural appearance, Indian para-badminton players secured an impressive haul of four medals: two golds, one silver, and one bronze.

Pramod Bhagat and Krishna Nagar clinched gold medals, while Suhas Yathiraj secured a silver, and Manoj Sarkar added a bronze to the tally. This outstanding performance continued at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, where India bagged five individual medals: one gold, two silvers, and two bronze. Nitesh Kumar’s gold in the men’s singles SL3 event and Suhas Yathiraj’s silver in the men’s singles SL4 event were particularly noteworthy.

Athletics — 35 medals (8 Gold, 15 Silver, 12 Bronze)

Athletics has been a cornerstone of India’s Paralympic success, with athletes excelling in various track and field events. As of the Paris Paralympics 2024, Indian para-athletes have garnered a total of 31 medals in athletics: 6 gold, 15 silver, and 10 bronze. The Tokyo 2020 Games were particularly fruitful, with India securing eight medals in athletics alone.

One of the standout performances came from Sumit Antil, who not only won gold in the men’s javelin throw F64 but also set a new world record in the process. Mariyappan Thangavelu and Devendra Jhajharia added silver medals to India’s tally in their respective events.

The success continued at the Paris Paralympics 2024, with notable achievements including silver medals by Sharad Kumar in the men’s high jump T63 and Ajeet Singh in the men’s javelin throw F46. Bronze medals from Mariyappan Thangavelu and Deepthi Jeevanji.

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