CHENNAI: India would be chasing history at Paralympic Games set to open on Wednesday. The 84-member team with unique personal stories would embark on a mission of bettering the Tokyo efforts in Paris. Though it had not been an eventful run for India at the Olympics where they fell short of Tokyo Games medals, the para-athletes would be looking to bring some solace. There are about 95 officials, support staff and escorts for the contingent.
The sports ministry and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) had spent more than Rs 74 crore through their flagship Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), Khelo India and National Centre of Excellence schemes. The major chunk of the funding was allocated to para-athletics where 38 para-athletes are participating. According to SAI’s Pathway to Paris, “two national camps and 24 foreign exposure trips were supported by the Indian government, including 22 TOPS para-athletes, 14 Khelo India Athletes (KIA) & two NCoE para-athletes”.
“We are going to create history,” said the newly-elected president of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), Devendra Jhajharia. “We should be winning more than 25 medals this time. The mood in the camp is buoyant. Our strong event is athletics where 38 para-athletes are participating. We are expecting medals in double digits.” The SAI has spent Rs 18.78 crore on the sport. Jhajharia, who is in Paris with the contingent, said that they are all trying to motivate them. “We will be doing well in shooting, badminton and other sports also but we have the maximum number of para-athletes in athletics so we should be winning more medals.”
In Tokyo, Sumit Antil had won gold; this time as a world record holder, he would be the favourite in the javelin. Sheetal Devi who mesmerised with her scintillating performance during the Asian Games would be looking to establish herself at the world stage in archery. Tamil Nadu’s T Mariyappan would once again be in focus in the high jump. Shooter Avani Lekhara would be defending her Tokyo gold while Krishna Nagar in badminton too would be looking to win gold.
Para badminton is another sport in which the PCI president has pinned a lot of expectations, where SAI has spent some 14.91 crore. According to the SAI document, “one national camp and 19 foreign exposure trips were supported by the Indian government in the Paris Paralympics cycle (2021-24) that included 13 TOPS Para shuttlers & 1 KIA shuttler”. There are 13 para-shuttlers in the team in Paris. The SAI has spent over Rs 14.6 crore in para-shooting in the last Olympic cycle. They had held nine national camps and nine foreign exposure trips and the total number of para-athletes is 10 at the Games.
Jhajharia said that the federation supported the athletes as much as they could. He lauded the sports ministry and SAI support and said the athletes were taken care of. “I believed that apart from supporting them physically the federation has to support them mentally. We have given freedom to the players and told them they should tell us what they need. We believed in constant engagement with the players. Even now I am sitting with the players (in Paris). I am sharing my experience with them and motivating them.”
Going by the performances of the teams at the world and Asian championships, the para-athletes are expected to do well in Paris between August 8 and September 8.