After best-ever Olympic medal haul, India eyes record-breaking Paralympics in Tokyo

The finest ever Olympics simply glided by for India and the nation seems to be good for its finest ever Paralympics with an unprecedented 54 inspirational athletes eyeing a medal haul that may simply surpass the double digit determine for the primary time on the showpiece, beginning right here on Tuesday.

The likes of star javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia and excessive jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu — each 2016 Rio Paralympics gold winners — will lead the most important ever contingent with India anticipating no less than 15 medals, together with 5 gold.India is competing in 9 sports activities within the Paralympics, which is being held underneath strict security and well being protocols as a result of COVID-19 pandemic that has led to few international locations pulling out.The expectation of unprecedented success wouldn’t be vast off the mark as no less than 4 Indians are ranked high of the world whereas six are at quantity two and round 10 are at quantity three in international standings.12 medals to this point on the ParalympicsIndia has received 12 medals in whole in Paralympics because it first took half in 1972 and if the projected success materialises, the nation may very well be among the many high 25 within the medal tally this time, as in opposition to forty third in 2016 with 2 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze.With the federal government loosening its purse strings for para-athletes and lots of of them making ready effectively at varied Sports Authority of India services throughout the nation, the Paralympians look set so as to add to the euphoria of sporting success following the very best ever medal haul within the Olympics which ended on August 8.India secured seven medals, together with one gold and two silver medals, through the Olympics.Devendra Jhajharia eyeing a hat-trick at ParalympicsJhajharia, who misplaced his left hand resulting from electrocution as a toddler, goes robust even at 40 and is aiming for a hat-trick of gold medals within the F-46 class after ending on high of podium in 2004 and 2016. He is present world report holder within the occasion.F-46 classification is supposed for athletes who’ve higher limb deficiency, impaired muscle energy or impaired passive vary of motion.Mariyappan, who was everlasting disabled on the age of 5 when a bus crushed his proper leg beneath the knee, is one other para athlete looking for to defend the gold he had received in 2016 in T63 excessive leap, although he’s at the moment ranked world quantity 2.He will even maintain the nation’s flag through the opening ceremony on Tuesday.Para-javelin throwers look to make a markWorld champion Sandeep Choudhary (F-64 javelin throw) is the third gold medal contender from the 24-strong para athletics group. He is world primary and world report holder additionally.Other medal prospects from para-athletics are reigning world champion Sundar Singh Gurjar and Ajeet Singh (additionally in F-46) and Navdeep Singh (F41) — all para-javelin throwers.The Paralympic Committee of India is hoping to win 10 medals from para athletics.Para-athletes are given a classification relying on the sort and extent of their incapacity. The classification system permits athletes to compete in opposition to others with the same degree of skill.India shuttlers eye success as badminton makes Para Games debutBadminton will make its debut on the Paralympic Games in Tokyo and India have a number of the brightest medal prospects.World No. 1 and multiple-time world champion Pramod Bhagat is a high gold medal contender in males’s SL3 occasion.World No. 2 shuttler Krishna Nagar (SH6) and Tarun Dhillon (SL4) are different para shuttlers who’re anticipated to do effectively.The skilled Parul Parmar, a two-time former world championship gold medallist, and younger Palak Kohli (SL3-SU5), whose one hand didn’t develop correctly at start, will carry excessive hopes of returning with a medal within the ladies’s class.Can shooters and archers step up in Tokyo?India can also be banking on its shooters and archers to rise to the event in Tokyo.In archery, India could have Rakesh Kumar and Shyam Sundar (compound), Vivek Chikara and Harvinder Singh (recurve) and girl archer Jyoti Baliyan (compound particular person /blended occasion).The different sports activities Indians are collaborating in are Para Canoeing, Para Swimming, Para Powerlifting, Para Table Tennis and Para Taekwondo.India’s marketing campaign begins from August 25 with para desk tennis gamers Bhavina Patel and Sonal Patel in motion.As each are usually not robust contenders for a podium end, India’s first medal is predicted to come back on Friday when para archery occasions start. Once para athletics occasions start on Saturday, a medal rush is predicted to start out.With the Paralympics — set to be declared open by emperor Naruhito — being held within the backdrop of surging COVID-19 circumstances in Tokyo and different components of Japan, the well being and security protocols have been strict.Just like within the Olympics, solely six officers are allowed to participate within the opening ceremony on Tuesday and 5 athletes, together with flag bearer Mariyappan, will kind the 11 member Indian group.The different athletes are discus thrower Vinod Kumar, javelin thrower Tek Chand and powerlifters Jaideep and Sakina Khatun.The Indian contingent would be the seventeenth to enter the Olympic Stadium after Iran.In view of the surging COVID-19 circumstances, followers have been banned from the Paralympics, similar to the previous Olympic Games, although the organisers are nonetheless attempting to permit youngsters in some venues.The Olympics had seen greater than 11000 athletes from 205 international locations (plus Olympic Refugee Team) competing in 339 occasions in 33 sports activities.The Paralympics will characteristic round 4500 athletes from 163 international locations however competing in 540 occasions in 22 sports activities. The variety of occasions are extra in Paralympics as there are totally different classifications relying on the extent of incapacity.