CHENNAI: India is ready to send its largest-ever contingent for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games with Tamil Nadu's Mariyappan Thangavelu expected to be the flagbearer in the opening ceremony on August 24. The country had fielded 19 para-athletes including three women at the Rio Paralympics, which at the time was its largest-ever contingent. The number, however, may swell to around 50 this time.
The executive committee of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) will meet on Friday to decide on the names of the para athletes representing the country in the quadrennial event. The PCI has already sent a tentative list of para athletes to the International Paralympic Committee.
Mariyappan won India's first gold at the 2016 Rio Paralympics since 2004 with victory in the men’s high jump. The 26-year-old from Salen had secured the gold medal in Rio with a jump of 1.89m. Coach Satyanarayana is also expecting his ward to be the flagbearer at the Paralympics. "Given his performance over the past few years, he deserves to be the flagbearer. I hope he gets the responsibility at the executive committee meeting," the coach told this daily.
Meanwhile, the two-day final selection trial to pick the Indian para-athletics team concluded in New Delhi on Wednesday. It was learnt that the selection committee has picked up a 24-member athletics team on Friday. India has been granted 24 slots, including four women athletes, by the World Para Athletics.
The athletics team comprises Asian Para Games gold medallists Amit Kumar Saroha and Sandeep Chaudhary. Saroha will be representing the country in the F51 category in discus throw and club throw. Chaudhary will be competing in the F44 javelin throw event. A total of 72 para-athletes, including 18 women, who had secured Minimum Qualification Standard (MQS), took part in the trials.
"The list more or less will be decided tomorrow (Friday) in the executive committee meeting. A few members will attend the meeting in person while others will join in virtually. Most of the disciplines have already announced the names of quota holders, a few may come up with their names in days to come. We are expecting medals in athletics, badminton and shooting in the Paralympics," said a PCI source.
India had won four medals in Rio including two gold, a silver and a bronze.