From Devendra Jhajharia to Avani Lekhara: The most decorated Indian Paralympic athletes

India is in the midst of its best Paralympic outing in its history, in the ongoing Paris Paralympics 2024. Since Murlikant Petkar won the first gold medal for India in men's 50m freestyle swimming in the Heidelberg Paralympic Games in 1972, the country has come a long way.??

CREDIT: ANI

With three more days for the Paris Paralympics 2024 to conclude, Team India, which already has bagged 24 medals, is on track to achieve the target Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) President Devendra Jhajharia had set - winning more than 25 medals.??

Devendra Jhajharia??

Devendra Jhajharia is not just the president of PCI, but also India's most decorated para-athlete. The 43-year-old from Churu, Rajasthan, has three Paralympic medals to his name - two golds and one silver.??

CREDIT: BCCL

Jhajharia created history in 2004, winning his first gold in the javelin throw at the Athens Paralympics in his Paralympic debut. Jhajharia was the only gold medalist at the Paralympics for India. Jhajharia won his second gold at the Rio Games in 2016, and in his final outing at the Paralympics in Tokyo, he bagged a silver.??

Mariyappan Thangavelu??

Mariyappan Thangavelu from Salem, Tamil Nadu, is also a triple Paralympic medalist, with a gold, silver, and bronze each to his name. Thangavelu, who won his first Paralympic medal, a gold in high jump at the 2016 Rio Games, also bagged a silver in Tokyo 2020.?

CREDIT: ANI

The 29-year-old, who was competing in his third Paralympics in Paris, won his third medal, a bronze, on Tuesday.??

Avani Lekhara??

Avani Lekhara, who won a gold medal in the women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 category in Tokyo 2020, also bagged a bronze in the 50m rifle 3 positions shooting, making her the first Indian woman to win two medals in one Paralympics.

CREDIT: ANI

Avani added one more gold to her kitty in the 2024 Games in the women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 shooting event.??

Also read: How shooter Avani Lekhara defied the odds to become one of India's best para-athletes

Sumit Antil??

Javelin thrower Sumit Antil, who won his second Paralympic gold in the ongoing Games in Paris, is also one of India's most decorated Paralympians.?

CREIT: ANI

Sumit, who won his first Paralympic gold in Tokyo 2020, successfully retained it in Paris.??

Harvinder Singh??

Para-archer Harvinder Singh, who became the first Indian to win a medal in archery at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, added a gold to his name in Paris 2024.??

Also read:?Who is Harvinder Singh, the first para-archer to win a gold medal for India at Paralympics?

CREDIT: ANI

Yogesh Kathuniya??

Yogesh Kathuniya won his first silver medal for India at the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo in the men's discus throw F56 event. The 27-year-old won his second silver at the Paralympics in Paris.?

CREDIT: ANI

Suhas Yathiraj??

The IAS officer from Karnataka won his first Paralympic medal, a silver in men's badminton singles SL4 in Tokyo 2020.?

CREDIT: REUTERS

Suhas Yathiraj won his second silver at the Paralympics in Paris.??

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