CHENNAI: Para-sports have been part of the Commonwealth Games programme since Manchester in 2002 but as of now India have not really made a lasting impact on the event. However, this time Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) is expecting a rich medal haul in the limited sports that are featuring at the truncated Glasgow Games starting from Thursday.
India could even begin their quest with a medal on Friday in powerlifting. Parmjeet Kumar and Jhandu Kumar seem to be the favourites in their respective categories but other five lifters too can spring a surprise or two. Satyanarayana, chairperson and chief coach of PCI, felt this time India could be winning more than five or six medals. In athletics there is a possibility of winning about five medals including two gold and more than one silver, he said.
On Friday when Parmjeet lifts weights in the afternoon (evening 5.40 IST), India could well be on their way to the podium. Parmjeet is an Asian Games medallist and one of the favourites to bag a medal. There are others too — Ashok, Sudhir, Suman Devi, Jaspreet Kaur and Kasturi Rajamani — but two lifters are primed to win a medal. Jhandu is another bet. Last time India had won one medal through Sudhir but he was later stripped of it after testing positive for morphine during the competition. Parmjeet, whose legs were affected by polio, hails from Punjab and is looking to make a mark in Glasgow. He had won a medal at the Asian Para Games in Jakarta.
According to the coach, India are expected to win medals in para-athletics this time. “Going by the rankings, we should be winning at least two gold medals if not more in para-athletics,” he told this daily from Glasgow. “Sharmila in shot put should win one. There could be one-two in men’s shot put (F57). They are No 1 and 2 in ranking and should be finishing on the podium. We will definitely improve our medal tally this time.” Shot putter Shubham Juyal is top billed while Soman Rana is behind his teammate. Juyal, an Army man, started training from 2023 and has a best of 13.58m.
India have not won too many medals over the years because the number of events are not as many as they are at the Paralympics. This year itself there are about five or six events in para-athletics compared to overall 120, said Satyanarayana. India had two medals – silver and bronze — in 2014 and four in powerlifting in the next edition. India would be hoping for a best-ever show this time. India are expected to do well in 100m T47 through Dilip Gavit and Mohammed Basil.
There are 28 athletes competing in five para events – para-athletics, para-swimming, para-powerlifting, para-cycling and 3x3 wheelchair basketball. In swimming and cycling, India are usually not medal contenders.
“The team preparation in Bengaluru was quite good and this time we should have a historic medal haul,” signed off Satyanarayana.