Indian para-athletes first appeared in 1968, and since 2016 they have won 12 medals. This year, there were many stunning performances in Tokyo to give the country its best-ever medal haul at the Paralympics, and it ended up with 19 medals with five golds, eight silvers, and six bronze.
- Avani Lakhera, Shooting (Gold and Bronze): The 19-year-old also created history in her debut tournament by becoming the first Indian woman ever to win a gold medal at the Paralympics, finishing on top in R2 women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1. After that, she added a bronze medal in the women’s 50m rifle three positions SH1.
- Sumit Antil, Javelin Thrower, Gold: Sumit Antil won gold in the F64 Men’s javelin throw at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. He created a world record twice at the same game. In his first attempt, he threw 66.95m which beat his previous personal best of 62.88m and the current world record. His second throw reached a distance of 68.08m to set a new world record for this category.
- Manish Narwal, Shooting, Gold: Nineteen-year-old Manish Narwal was disappointed with his performance of a seventh-place finish in the men’s 10m air pistol earlier, but he won gold in the 50-meter event. Narwal, making his Paralympics debut, broke the world record.
- Pramod Bhagat, Badminton, Gold: India’s Pramod Bhagat won the gold medal in the men’s Singles SL3 badminton match against Great Britain’s Daniell Bethell at the Tokyo Paralympics. India’s won its first medal in badminton at the Paralympics Games.
- Krishna Nagar, Badminton, Gold: Krishna Nagar became the second Indian para-athlete to clinched the Para-Badminton gold for India as he beat Hong Kong’s Chu Man Kai 21-17, 16-21, 21-17 in the men’s singles SH6 final. He becomes the first-ever SH6 gold medallist in the history of the Indian Paralympics.
- Bhavinaben Patel, Table Tennis, Silver: Bhavinaben Patel became only the second Indian woman to win a medal at the Paralympics. She has lost the game by 0-3 against the world’s number one Chinese paddler, Ying Zhou.
- Nishad Kumar, High Jump, Silver: Nishad Kumar secured a silver medal in the men’s high jump T47. The 21-year-old Kumar cleared 2.06m to win the silver. Kumar and American Dallas Wise cleared the exact height of 2.06m, so they were awarded silver.
- Yogesh Kathuniya, Discus Thrower, Silver: Yogesh Kathuniya won a silver medal in the Paralympics’ discus throw men’s F56 event.
- Devendra Jhajharia, Javelin Thrower, Silver: Devendra Jhajharia secured silver in the men’s F46 javelin throw event with a personal best effort of 64.35m.
- Mariyappan Thangavelu, Long Jump, Silver: Mariyappan Thangavelu won silver in the men’s high jump finalin Class T42. This is his second medal at the games, having already won a gold in Rio 2016. Mariyappan Thangavelu cleared the mark of 1.86m.
- Singhraj Adhana, Shooter, Silver, and Bronze: Adhana won a silver medal in the P4 – Mixed 50m Pistol SH1 final. He also secured a bronze medal in the P1 men’s 10m air pistol SH1 event at the Tokyo Paralympics, taking his total medal tally to two.
- Praveen Kumar, High Jump, Silver: Praveen Kumar created a new Asian record of 2.07m and won silver in the men’s high jump T64 event.
- Suhas Yathiraj, Badminton, Silver: India’s Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj won a historic silver after going down loss against France’s Lucas Mazur in the men’s singles SL4 class final at the Tokyo Paralympics.
- Sunder Singh Gurjar, Javelin Throw, Bronze: Sundar Singh Gurjar won bronze, finishing behind Jhajharia in the men’s javelin throw F46 final.
- Sharad Kumar, High jump, Bronze: Sharad Kumar created history by becoming Bihar’s first-ever Paralympic medallist after winning a bronze medal in the F42 category of men’s high jump in the Tokyo Para Games.
- Harvinder Singh, Archery, Bronze: Harvinder won bronze against Kim Min Su of South Korea Su by 6-5 in a bronze medal playoff.
- Manoj Sarkar, Badminton, Bronze: After DefeatingJapan’s Daisuke Fujihara 22-20,21-13, Manoj Sarkar won the bronze medal in the men’s singles (SL3) badminton event at the Tokyo Paralympics.