Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Celebrates Indian Para-Athletes’ Success at Paris Paralympics; Emphasizes Vision for ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.
New Delhi:
Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, along with Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports, Raksha Khadse, felicitated the Indian Para-Shooting team upon their return from the Paris Paralympics. The team secured a total of four medals: Avani Lekhara (gold), Manish Narwal (silver), Rubina Francis (bronze), and Mona Agarwal (bronze).
In a ceremony held in New Delhi, Dr. Mandaviya praised the athletes, their coaches, and support staff for their outstanding achievements. He remarked, “When you play, you not only achieve success for yourself but also bring pride to your coaches, your parents, and the entire nation.” He further emphasized the importance of building on these experiences to continue striving for excellence.
Dr. Mandaviya reiterated the government’s commitment to advancing sports as a key element of national development, aiming for the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047. “We must continue to perform in upcoming competitions and ensure international-standard training for all players,” he affirmed.
Among the notable achievements, Avani Lekhara won gold in the R2 – Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event with a Paralympic Record of 249.7 points, defending her title from Tokyo 2020. She became the only Indian woman to win gold medals at both the Paralympics and Olympics.
Para-archer Rakesh Kumar, along with Sheetal Devi, secured a bronze in the mixed team compound archery event, marking India’s first medal in this category at the Paralympics. Pranav Soorma earned silver in the Men’s Club Throw F51 event, sharing the podium with gold medalist Dharambir.
India’s overall medal tally stands at 27 (6 gold, 9 silver, 12 bronze) as of September 6, 2024. Tokyo 2020 Silver Medallist Praveen Kumar clinched gold in the Men’s High Jump – T64 event with a personal best jump of 2.08m, setting an Asian record. Paralympics debutant Hokato Sema won bronze in the Men’s Shot Put – F57 event with a personal best throw of 14.65m, becoming the oldest Indian to medal at this edition of the Games.
