Sports Minister Mandaviya pledges full support to para-athletes after historic Paralympics performance

New Delhi, Sep 10 (IANS) Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday felicitated the remaining members of the Paris Paralympic contingent upon their return to India. The minister extended their heartfelt congratulations to the athletes, celebrating their incredible achievements at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

Addressing the athletes, Mandaviya expressed the pride and joy felt by the entire nation. He assured them that the Government of India will continue to extend full support to athletes and coaches, leaving no stone unturned to ensure they reach their highest potential. He also motivated the athletes to prepare for future Paralympics with unwavering spirit and determination.

Highlighting the government's commitment to nurturing sports talent, Mandaviya stated that 50 of the 84 participants in the Paris Paralympics were supported through the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), while others were beneficiaries of the Khelo India program, National Centres of Excellence (NCOE), or other government support initiatives.

Reflecting on India's performance trajectory in recent years, he emphasised the country's significant progress, which is mirrored in the number of medals won at the Paralympic Games. He proudly mentioned that India secured 29 medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, compared to 19 medals at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, marking a substantial improvement.

Mandaviya also highlighted several significant achievements from the Paris 2024 Paralympics, including the highest-ever number of double podium finishes for India, with five such instances. He further acknowledged the outstanding consistency shown by 11 athletes who won medals in back-to-back editions of the Paralympics. Additionally, 12 debutant athletes made a remarkable impact by winning their first Paralympic medals. The event also witnessed the setting of five new records, with one world record and four Paralympic records.

He also proudly announced that the Paris 2024 Paralympics witnessed historic participation by Indian athletes, with 46 participating for the first time and a record number of 32 Indian women athletes competing in the Games.

The 17 medalists present today included: Para Athletics – Gold medallists: Navdeep, Dharambir, Sumit Antil, Praveen Kumar; Silver medallists: Yogesh Kathuniya, Nishad Kumar, Sharad Kumar, Ajeet Singh, Sachin Khilari; Bronze medallists: Preeti Pal, Mariyappan, Hokato Sema, Sundar Singh Gurjar and Simran Sharma. Para-Archery - Harvinder Singh (Gold) and Sheetal Devi (Bronze) as well as Kapil Parmar (Bronze) from Para-Judo.

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