India's Paralympic journey: From first medal to record-breaking Tokyo 2020

India's para-athletes have risen from humble beginnings to global dominance

The Paralympic Games have been a platform for athletes with disabilities to showcase their incredible talents and determination. With its rich history and diverse culture, India has made significant strides in the Paralympic Games, over the years. India debuted at the Paralympic Games in the 1968 Tel Aviv edition. The country sent a small contingent of only 10 athletes, but they could not secure any medals in their debut edition. However, it laid the foundation for future success and highlighted the potential of Indian para-athletes on a larger scale.

The first breakthrough for the Indian contingent came in the 1972 Heidelberg Paralympics when Murlikant Petkar won India’s first-ever Paralympic medal. Petkar clinched the gold in the men’s 50m freestyle 3 swimming event, setting a world record time of 37.33 seconds.

 

After missing out in the 1976 and 1980 editions, India returned to the Paralympics in 1984, held in Stoke Mandeville/New York. This edition proved to be a turning point as India won four medals. Joginder Singh Bedi emerged as a star, winning a silver in men’s shot put and two bronze medals in discus and javelin throw. Bhimrao Kesarkar added silver to the tally in the javelin throw. This remarkable performance placed India on the Paralympic map.

Despite their success in 1984, India faced a challenging period in the subsequent editions. They failed to win any medals in the 1988 Seoul, 1992 Barcelona, 1996 Atlanta, and 2000 Sydney Paralympics.

India’s medal drought finally ended at the 2004 Athens Paralympics when Devendra Jhajharia won gold in javelin throw, and Rajinder Singh secured a bronze in powerlifting. Jhajharia’s victory was particularly significant as he became the first Indian para-athlete to win a gold medal in athletics.

India’s performance at the 2012 London Paralympics saw HN Girisha winning a silver in the men’s high jump F42 category, while in the 2016 Rio Paralympics, India matched its best-ever haul of four medals, with Mariyappan Thangavelu winning gold in men’s high jump T42, Devendra Jhajharia securing his second gold in javelin throw F46, Varun Singh Bhati winning bronze in men’s high jump T42, and Deepa Malik clinching silver in women’s shot put F53.

The 2020 Tokyo Paralympics was a landmark moment for India. The country achieved its best-ever performance, winning a total of 19 medals, including five gold, eight silver, and six bronze. Avani Lekhara became the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal in shooting, while Sumit Antil set a world record in javelin throw to win gold.

Full list of India’s performance at Paralympic Games edition-wise

Year	Host City	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total Medals
1968	Tel Aviv	0	0	0	0
1972	Heidelberg	1	0	0	1
1984	Stoke Mandeville/New York	0	2	2	4
1988	Seoul	0	0	0	0
1992	Barcelona	0	0	0	0
1996	Atlanta	0	0	0	0
2000	Sydney	0	0	0	0
2004	Athens	1	0	1	2
2008	Beijing	0	0	0	0
2012	London	0	1	0	1
2016	Rio de Janeiro	2	1	1	4
2020	Tokyo	5	8	6	19