India is gearing up for a remarkable performance at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, scheduled from August 28 to September 8, 2024. With a strong contingent of 84 athletes—52 men and 32 women—representing the country across various disciplines, India aims to surpass its previous achievements at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, where it clinched a record-breaking 19 medals. This year, the diversity of sports and the inclusion of more female athletes mark a significant step forward for Indian para-sports.
Competitors by Sport
India’s participation is spread across a wide range of sports, highlighting the nation’s growing prowess and diversity in the Paralympic arena. The breakdown is as follows:
- Archery: 6 athletes (3 men, 3 women)
- Athletics: 38 athletes (28 men, 10 women)
- Badminton: 13 athletes (7 men, 6 women)
- Cycling: 2 athletes (1 man, 1 woman)
- Judo: 2 athletes (1 man, 1 woman)
- Paracanoeing: 3 athletes (1 man, 2 women)
- Powerlifting: 4 athletes (2 men, 2 women)
- Rowing: 2 athletes (1 man, 1 woman)
- Shooting: 10 athletes (7 men, 3 women)
- Swimming: 1 athlete (1 man)
- Table Tennis: 2 athletes (2 women)
- Taekwondo: 1 athlete (1 woman)
This comprehensive lineup reflects India’s strategic focus on expanding its medal prospects by competing in a wide variety of sports.
Detailed List of Participants and Their Events
1. Archery (6 Participants)
- Men:
- Rakesh Kumar: Individual Compound
- Shyam Sundar Swami: Individual Compound
- Harvinder Singh: Individual Recurve
- Women:
- Sheetal Devi: Individual Compound
- Sarita Adhana: Individual Compound
- Pooja Jatyan: Individual Recurve
- Mixed:
- Harvinder Singh & Pooja Jatyan: Team Recurve
2. Athletics (38 Participants)
- Track & Road Events:
- Preethi Pal: Women’s 100m T35, Women’s 200m T35
- Simran Sharma: Women’s 200m T12
- Deepthi Jeevanji: Women’s 400m T20
- Dilip Gavit: Men’s 400m T47
- Rakshitha Raju: Women’s 1500m T11
- Field Events:
- Men:
- Dharambir Nain, Pranav Soorma, Amit Kumar Saroha: Club Throw F51
- Yogesh Kathuniya: Discus Throw F56
- Sharad Kumar, Mariyappan Thangavelu, Shailesh Kumar: High Jump T63
- Nishad Kumar, Rampal Chahar: High Jump T47
- Praveen Kumar: High Jump T64
- Navdeep Singh: Javelin Throw F41
- Ajeet Singh, Rinku, Sundar Singh Gurjar: Javelin Throw F46
- Dipesh Kumar: Javelin Throw F54
- Praveen Kumar, Sandip Sanjay Sargar, Sandeep Chaudhary, Sumit Antil: Javelin Throw F64
- Arvind Malik: Shot Put F35
- Manu: Shot Put F37
- Rongali Ravi: Shot Put F40
- Sachin Sarjerao Khilari, Mohd. Yasser, Rohit Kumar: Shot Put F46
- Hokato Hotozhe Sema, Soman Rana: Shot Put F57
- Women:
- Kanchan Lakhani: Discus Throw F53
- Sakshi Kasana, Karamjyoti: Discus Throw F55
- Bhavanaben Ajabaji Chaudhary: Javelin Throw F46
- Bhagyashree Jadhav: Shot Put F34
- Amisha Rawat: Shot Put F46
3. Badminton (13 Participants)
- Men:
- Manoj Sarkar, Kumar Nitesh: Singles SL3
- Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj, Sukant Kadam, Tarun Dhillon: Singles SL4
- Krishna Nagar, Sivarajan Solaimalai: Singles SH6
- Women:
- Manasi Joshi, Mandeep Kaur: Singles SL3
- Palak Kohli: Singles SL4
- Thulasimathi Murugesan, Manisha Ramadass: Singles SU5
- Nithya Sre Sivan: Singles SH6
- Mixed:
- Kumar Nitesh & Thulasimathi Murugesan: Doubles SL3–SU5
- Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj & Palak Kohli: Doubles SL3–SU5
- Sivarajan Solaimalai & Nithya Sre Sivan: Doubles SH6
4. Cycling (2 Participants)
- Men:
- Arshad Shaik: Men’s Time Trial C2, Men’s Road Race C1-3, Men’s 1000m Time Trial C1-3, Men’s 3000m Pursuit C2
- Women:
- Jyoti Gaderiya: Women’s Time Trial C1-3, Women’s Road Race C1-3, Women’s 500m Time Trial C1-3, Women’s 3000m Pursuit C1-3
5. Judo (2 Participants)
- Men:
- Kapil Parmar: J1 -60 kg
- Women:
- Kokila Kaushiklate: J2 -48 kg
6. Paracanoeing (3 Participants)
- Men:
- Yash Kumar: KL1
- Women:
- Pooja Ojha: KL1
- Prachi Yadav: VL2
7. Powerlifting (4 Participants)
- Men:
- Paramjeet Kumar: -49 kg
- Ashok: -65 kg
- Women:
- Sakina Khatun: -45 kg
- Kasthuri Rajamani: -67 kg
8. Rowing (2 Participants)
- Anita & Narayana Konganapalle: PR3 Mixed Double Sculls
9. Shooting (10 Participants)
- Men:
- Rudransh Khandelwal, Manish Narwal: P1 – 10m Air Pistol SH1
- Swaroop Mahavir Unhalkar: R1 – 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1
- Women:
- Avani Lekhara, Mona Agarwal: R2 – 10m Air Rifle SH1
- Avani Lekhara, Mona Agarwal: R8 – 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1
- Rubina Francis: P2 – 10m Air Pistol SH1
- Mixed:
- Avani Lekhara & Sidhartha Babu: R3 – Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1
- Sriharsha Ramakrishna Davareddi: R4 – 10m Air Rifle SH2, R5 – 50m Rifle Prone SH2
- Mona Agarwal & Sidhartha Babu: R6 – 50m Rifle Prone SH1
- Nihal Singh & Amir Ahmed Bhat: P3 – 25m Pistol SH1
- Nihal Singh & Rudransh Khandelwal: P4 – 50m Pistol SH1
10. Swimming (1 Participant)
- Men:
- Suyash Narayan Jadhav: 50m Butterfly S7
11. Table Tennis (2 Participants)
- Women:
- Sonalben Patel: Women’s Individual C3
- Bhavina Patel: Women’s Individual C4
- Mixed:
- Sonalben Patel & Bhavina Patel: Women’s Doubles D10
12. Taekwondo (1 Participant)
- Women:
- Aruna Tanwar: Women’s –47 kg
Conclusion
India’s robust representation at the 2024 Summer Paralympics underlines its commitment to nurturing and supporting para-athletes. With a well-rounded team of 84 participants, India is not just looking to make a mark but to significantly improve its medal tally, promoting the spirit of inclusivity and excellence in sports. As the nation cheers for its athletes, the 2024 Paralympics promises to be a platform for showcasing India’s growing strength in global para-sports.