When Devendra Jhajharia, the double Paralympic gold medallist and current President of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), predicted that the Indian contingent would bring home 25 medals this time, it was seen as a bold claim. One month later, India concluded the Paris Paralympic Games with a record 29 medals—seven gold, nine silver and 13 bronze—placing 18th overall. This achievement marks India’s best-ever medal haul, surpassing the combined totals of the last three editions (19 at Tokyo, four at Rio and one at London).
At the Paris Olympics, the hunger for medals remained unfulfilled as the Indian contingent failed to reach the double-digit tally, winning six medals, one less than their Tokyo campaign. But, just a month later, the para-athletes exceeded all expectations.
Going medal-less on the first day, the contingent subsequently won medals during every day of the event. Tokyo gold medallist Avani Lekhara defended her title in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1. To make it an even sweeter moment, Mona Agarwal won bronze in the same event. Rubina Francis winning a bronze in 10m air pistol SH1 on the third day was just the calm before the storm.
At the end of the fourth day, India had already bagged seven medals. In the next three days, India went beast mode to boost the medal tally to 24 on the seventh day. Nitish Kumar’s gold in men’s singles badminton SL3, Sumit Antil’s gold in men’s javelin throw F64 and Navdeep Singh’s gold in the men’s javelin throw F41 were among the highlights as India breezed past the Tokyo tally.
As the medal tally swelled each day during India’s campaign, the disparity in support for para-athletes compared to able-bodied athletes became evident. Fans took to X to compare the medal tally at the Olympics and Paralympics and the amount invested by the sports ministry on both contingents.
According to sports ministry sources, the government invested Rs 520 crore for the Paris Olympics compared to Rs 74 crore for the Paralympics. Social media users pointed out the stark difference in the returns on investment as India won six medals at the Olympics, while the para-athletes fell short of the 30 mark by one medal.
Although the comparison may be unfair, it raises an important question – what can the sports ministry do to encourage more athletes to get into para-sports?
Progress has been made since Tokyo. The total investment this time was a manifold increase from Rs 26 crore for the last Paralympics. Besides, 50 of the 84 athletes were a part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and 19 were provided help with Khelo India and other national schemes.
However, sports at the elite level is a pretty expensive affair and there remains a void in grassroots-level support. Most of these athletes come from financially modest backgrounds and digging into their pockets does not seem feasible in the absence of sponsors. Striving for inclusivity should be at the forefront.
India can take a leaf out of China's book in this regard. China finished on top of the Paralympics medal tally amassing 220 medals (94 gold, 76 silver and 50 bronze). Its success stems from government schemes that focus on supporting people with disabilities providing them increased access to social security and employment. China's 14th Five-Year Plan for the Protection and Development of People with Disabilities encourages more physical activities among people with disabilities. The government is providing them with the best possible facilities to excel.
The lack of interest in India in the run-up to the Paralympics was summed up by Deepa Malik, the first woman from the country to win a Paralympic medal. She told the National Herald, ‘’We had to send at least 50 emails to have an official broadcaster on board till Jio came to the rescue. This gave the fans a chance to watch the events live."
Despite all this, para-sports have started to gain traction. The increased budget for para-athletes including training, coaching, nutrition and equipment has yielded results in Paris. Para-athletes were also given the benefits of training abroad as well as participating in international tournaments.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated the Indian contingent and has promised further support. “The country is rising in Paralympics and para sports. From four medals in 2016, India won 19 in Tokyo and 29 in Paris finishing at the 18th place. We will provide all the facilities to all of our para-athletes so that we can win more medals, especially gold, in 2028,” he said.
The results from the Paralympics have not only brought glory to the country but also inspired many younger disabled children to overcome the social stigma, embrace themselves and take up para sports. “More kids, who had earlier never thought of participating in para-sports, have started to enroll in various disciplines. I have seen the number go up. And that is at every event, every level,” said Atonu Ray, a para-badminton trainer from Kolkata.
“I am a huge fan of sports, be it any kind. And I connected with Atonu to get more disabled people into sports. I knew this community is bound to grow. The government is doing a good job, but I still think there is need for more sponsors at an earlier level. These athletes need more support and more exposure,” pointed out Atonu’s co-trainer Subhash.
“The government should also take up some initiative to educate the parents so that they are aware of the schemes. Many parents don’t want their children to be stuck with the thought of their disability, the thought that they can’t do anything. And parents’ support is crucial for this. So awareness programs are needed for exposure at the grassroots level,” Subhash added.
"We need training and post-training support. Regular access to quality physiotherapy is one of the most essential needs to maintain peak performance. The sports complexes for para athletes should employ specialised trainers tailored for the specific needs of the athletes," Atonu noted.
The National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD), in a press conference in August soon after the Paralympics 2024, stressed the need to support para-athletes, who have shone in the face of adversity throughout their lives. The NPRD also called for more para-sporting events at the national level to give athletes greater exposure and recognition. Plus, the encourage of para-sports at school level would help identify talent at an early age, it said.
In the wake of these outstanding results, there is hope that the government will follow up its words with action. The desire to excel lies deep within India's para-athletes whose success at global level was a moment to savour after all the difficulties they faced during their journey to the top. Every bit of support that comes their way reaffirms the nation's commitment not just to para sports but to the differently abled community at large.
