The Indian para-athletics team has set high standards for themselves, hoping to win an unprecedented five gold medals and a total of twelve medals in the upcoming Paris Paralympics 2024. To adjust to the weather before the Games, the first group of 16 Indian para-athletes, which includes the highly-regarded javelin thrower Sumit Antil, has already departed for Paris. Three days before the Opening Ceremony on August 25, the squad will move into the Games Village after spending a few days in hotels in Paris.
Sumit Antil, who is aiming to become the first Indian to defend his Paralympics gold, will be training alongside other para-athletes at facilities near the French capital. Sumit Antil and some other para-athletes will train at Nelson Mandela Sports Complex for a few days before entering the Games Village, said para-athletics head coach Satyanarayana.
Situated 5 miles from Stade de France, the complex provides cutting-edge training facilities for swimming, tennis, rugby, athletics, and wheelchair tennis. Athletes who wish to utilize the surrounding training facilities throughout the day will be able to do so by booking rooms at hotels close to the Games Village. The para-athletics competitions will be held from August 28 to September 8 at Stade de France, the same venue used by the able-bodied athletes for the Paris Olympics.
Reflecting on India’s prospects at the Paralympic games, Satyanarayana expressed optimism, saying, we are aiming for at least five gold and 12 medals in total. This will be our best performance in the Paralympics. This optimism is fueled by the team’s recent success at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan, where India secured six gold, five silver, and six bronze medals.
With 84 competitors competing in 12 sports, including 38 from the para-athletics squad, India has the largest-ever delegation attending the Paralympics in Paris. Devendra Jhajharia, President of the Paralympic Committee of India, forecasted that the squad would win at least 25 medals.
Bhagyashree Jadhav, a silver medallist in the women’s shot put F34 at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games, and Sumit Antil will be the joint flag bearers for India during the Opening Ceremony on August 28. This historic first ceremony will be held outside a stadium, taking place from the Champs-Elysees to Place de la Concorde in the heart of Paris.
Meanwhile, Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who won a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, will be in action at the 2024 Lausanne Diamond League on Thursday, August 22.
