Picture Credit: Twitter
The Tokyo edition of Olympics and Paralympics was historic and memorable for the Indian contingent as they registered their best-ever performances at both the events. India won a total of seven medals at the 2020 Summer Olympics while the country won 19 medals at the Paralympic Games. The improvement in India’s performance at Paralympics 2020 can be understood from the fact that before this edition, India had won 12 medals over a course of 30 years. This year alone, the para athletes have bagged 19 medals.
Everyone acknowledged and celebrated the achievement of the Indian contingent. The Indian Prime Minister has been really vocal about every event that has taken place. He actively congratulated the athletes upon winning while consoled those who could not win. Narendra Modi continued his ritual of hosting the Indian contingent for breakfast at his residence for the Para-athletes as well.
The Indian Prime Minister, on Thursday morning, hosted the Paralympians to felicitate them for their performances at the Games. The athletes also presented Prime Minister Narendra Modi with an autographed stole, which he was seen wearing around his neck all the time. He was seen talking to shuttlers Suhas Yathiraj, the District Magistrate of Noida, who won a silver, gold medallist Krishna Nagar and young Palak Kohli. The PM also interacted with Devendra Jhajharia and Mariyappan Thangavelu.
Have a look at the pictures here:
India won five gold, eight silver, and six bronze medals
India finished in 24th position, 19 places up from their previous outing at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. Avani Lekhara and Manish Narwal (Shooting), Krishna Nagar and Pramod Bhagat (Badminton), and Sumit Antil (Javelin Throw) bagged the five gold medals for India. Lekhara also won the bronze medal in another shooting event and became the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic medals in one edition.
Devendra Jhajharia and Mariyappan Thangavelu, the gold medalists of the Rio Games, won silver medals this time. Bhavina Patel won the first medal for India in para table tennis as she bagged the silver medal. Singhraj Adhana also won two medals, silver and bronze, in shooting for India.