Indian Contingent Scores Big at Paris Paralympics: Gold Galore and Almost-Medals!
Hold on to your hats, folks, because the Indian team is on fire at the Paris Paralympics! On Friday, they broke another record, with Praveen Kumar snagging India’s sixth gold medal. Yes, you read that right—six! This Tokyo Games silver medalist decided that silver was just too dull and leaped straight to gold in the men’s high jump T64 final. Praveen was like a high-flying superhero, clearing 2.08 meters with ease and smashing the Asian Record while setting a new Personal Best. USA’s Derek Loccident took the silver with a respectable 2.06 meters, and Poland’s Maciej Lepiato and Uzbekistan’s Temurbek Giyazov shared the bronze with a jump of 2.03 meters—talk about a crowded podium!
But wait, there’s more! India’s own Simran, who came oh-so-close to medaling in the Women’s 100m T12, is ready to dazzle again in the Women’s 200m T12 semifinal later tonight. With her guide Abhay Singh by her side, Simran won her heat, so keep your fingers crossed for that extra sparkle.
In the Men’s 400m T47 Round 1, Dilip Gavit breezed through to the final with a third-place finish in his heat. The final is set for Saturday, so stay tuned for more thrilling action. Meanwhile, Dipesh Kumar gave his best shot in the Men’s Javelin Throw F54 final, finishing seventh, but hey, there’s always next time!
Later tonight, watch out for Bhavanaben Ajabaji Chaudhary in the Women’s Javelin Throw F46 final and Soman Rana and Hokato Hotozhe Sema in the Men’s Shot Put F57 final. Sema, who had a strong showing at the Worlds earlier this year, is sure to bring the heat. Plus, Kasthuri Rajmani is gearing up for the Women’s 67 kg Para Powerlifting final—talk about a powerhouse lineup!
And let’s not forget Thursday’s big news: Kapil Parmar made history by snagging India’s first-ever Para Judo medal at the Paralympics with a stunning Ippon against Brazil’s Elielton de Oliveira. India came super close to adding more medals, but unfortunately, the mixed team recurve archery duo of Harvinder Singh and Pooja fell short. They fought valiantly, defeating Australia and Poland before being edged out by Italy in the semifinals. They even had a shot at Slovenia in the bronze medal match but ended up in a nail-biting shootoff.
So there you have it—a whirlwind of victories and near-wins that have made India proud. Keep cheering because this rollercoaster isn’t over yet!
