

The stage is set for a historic moment as India prepares to send its largest-ever contingent to the Paralympic Games. The Paris Paralympics 2024, scheduled from August 28 to September 8, will witness a formidable Indian team of 84 athletes, including 32 women, ready to make their mark on the global stage. This is a significant leap from the Tokyo Paralympics where India fielded a team of 54 athletes.
The City of Lights will be the backdrop for a diverse range of Indian talent across various disciplines. From the precision of archery to the raw power of athletics, the grit of badminton to the elegance of equestrian, India’s representatives are set to showcase their exceptional abilities.
The athletics track promises to be a hotbed of Indian action with a formidable squad of 38 athletes. The likes of Sumit Antil, the reigning Paralympic champion in javelin throw, will be looking to defend their title, while the likes of Nishad Kumar, Mariyappan Thangavelu, and Deepa Malik will be aiming for podium finishes.
Badminton, a relatively new addition to the Paralympic roster, has witnessed a meteoric rise in India. With 13 players in the fray, including the likes of Manoj Sarkar, Krishna Nagar, and Pramod Bhagat, India is poised to make a substantial impact in this sport.
The aquatic disciplines of swimming, canoeing, and rowing will also see Indian participation. Suyash Narayan Jadhav will be the lone swimmer representing India, while Prachi Yadav, Yash Kumar, and Pooja Ojha will carry the nation’s hopes in canoeing. Anita and Naryana Konganapalle will be the duo to watch out for in rowing.
Other sports like archery, powerlifting, shooting, and table tennis will also see Indian representation.
Harvinder Singh, Rakesh Kumar, and Shyam Sundar Swami will be the archers to watch out for, while Paramjeet Kumar, Ashok, Sakina Khatun, and Kasthuri Rajamani will be the powerlifters carrying India’s hopes. A strong contingent of 10 shooters, including the likes of Avani Lekhara and Manish Narwal, will be aiming for medals, while Sonalben Patel and Bhavinaben Patel will be the table tennis players representing India.
Completing the Indian contingent are the para-judoka Kapil Parmar and Kokila, and para-taekwondo athlete Aruna.
As the countdown to Paris 2024 begins, the nation is brimming with anticipation and excitement. With a larger and more diverse team, India is aiming to surpass its previous best performance at the Tokyo Paralympics, where it clinched a historic 19 medals. The dream of surpassing the 25-medal mark is on, and the Indian contingent is determined to make it a reality.
Below is a detailed look at the Indian athletes who have qualified for the Paris 2024 Paralympics, categorized by their respective sports.
Para Archery (6 Athletes)
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Harvinder Singh – Men’s Individual Recurve Open, Mixed Team Recurve Open (ST)
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Rakesh Kumar – Men’s Individual Compound Open, Mixed Team Compound Open (W2)
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Shyam Sundar Swami – Men’s Individual Compound Open, Mixed Team Compound Open (ST)
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Pooja – Women’s Individual Recurve Open, Mixed Team Recurve Open (ST)
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Sarita – Women’s Individual Compound Open, Mixed Team Compound Open (W2)
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Sheetal Devi – Women’s Individual Compound Open, Mixed Team Compound Open (ST)
Para Athletics (38 Athletes)
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Deepthi Jeevanji – Women’s 400m -T20
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Sumit Antil – Men’s Javelin Throw – F64
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Sandeep – Men’s Javelin Throw – F64
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Ajeet Singh – Men’s Javelin Throw – F46
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Sundar Singh Gurjar – Men’s Javelin Throw – F46
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Rinku – Men’s Javelin Throw – F46
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Navdeep – Men’s Javelin Throw – F41
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Yogesh Kathuniya – Men’s Discus Throw – F56
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Dharambir – Men’s Club Throw – F51
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Pranav Soorma – Men’s Club Throw – F51
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Amit Kumar – Men’s Club Throw – F51
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Nishad Kumar – Men’s High Jump – T47
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Ram Pal – Men’s High Jump – T47
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Mariyappan Thangavelu – Men’s High Jump – T63
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Shailesh Kumar – Men’s High Jump – T63
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Sharad Kumar – Men’s High Jump – T63
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Sachin Sarjerao Khilari – Men’s Shot Put – F46
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Mohd. Yasser – Men’s Shot Put – F46
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Rohit Kumar – Men’s Shot Put – F46
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Preethi Pal – Women’s 100m – T35, Women’s 200m – T35
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Bhagyashri Madhavrao Jadhav – Women’s Shot Put – F34
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Manu – Men’s Shot Put – F37
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Parveen Kumar – Men’s Javelin Throw – F57
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Ravi Rongali – Men’s Shot Put – F40
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Sandip Sanjay Gurjar – Men’s Javelin Throw – F64
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Arvind – Men’s Shot Put – F35
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Dipesh Kumar – Men’s Javelin Throw – F54
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Praveen Kumar – Men’s High Jump – T64
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Dilip Mahadu Gavit – Men’s 400m – T47
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Soman Rana – Men’s Shot Put – F57
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Hokato Hotozhe Sema – Men’s Shot Put – F57
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Sakshi Kasana – Women’s Discus Throw – F55
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Karamjyoti – Women’s Discus Throw – F55
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Rakshitha Raju – Women’s 1500m – T11
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Amisha Rawat – Women’s Shot Put – F46
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Bhavanaben Ajabaji Chaudhary – Women’s Javelin Throw – F46
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Simran – Women’s 100m – T12, Women’s 200m – T12
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Kanchan Lakhani – Women’s Discus Throw – F53
Para Badminton (13 Athletes)
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Manoj Sarkar – Men’s Singles SL3
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Nitesh Kumar – Men’s Singles SL3, Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5
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Krishna Nagar – Men’s Singles SH6
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Sivarajan Solaimalai – Men’s Singles SH6, Mixed Doubles SH6
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Suhas Yathiraj – Men’s Singles SL4, Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5
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Sukant Kadam – Men’s Singles S4
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Tarun – Men’s Singles S4
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Manasi Joshi – Women’s Singles SL3
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Mandeep Kaur – Women’s Singles SL3
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Palak Kohli – Women’s Singles SL4, Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5
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Manisha Ramadass – Women’s Singles SU5
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Thulasimathi Murugesan – Women’s Singles SU5, Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5
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Nithya Sre Sivan – Women’s Singles SH6, Mixed Doubles SH6
Para Canoe (3 Athletes)
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Prachi Yadav – Women’s Va’a Single 200m VL2
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Yash Kumar – Men’s Kayak Single 200m -KL1
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Pooja Ojha – Women’s Kayak Single 200m -KL1
Para Cycling (2 Athletes)
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Arshad Shaik – Road – Men’s C2 Ind. Time Trial, Road – Men’s C1-3 Road Race, Track – Men’s C1-3 1000m Time Trial, Track – Men’s C2 3000m Ind. Pursuit
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Jyoti Gaderiya – Road – Women’s C1-3 Ind. Time Trial, Road – Women’s C1-3 Road Race, Track – Women’s C1-3 500m Time Trial, Track – Women’s C1-3 3000m Ind. Pursuit
Blind Judo (2 Athletes)
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Kapil Parmar – Men’s -60kg J1
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Kokila – Women’s -48kg J2
Para Powerlifting (4 Athletes)
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Paramjeet Kumar – Men’s up to 49kg
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Ashok – Men’s up to 63kg
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Sakina Khatun – Women’s up to 45kg
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Kasthuri Rajamani – Women’s up to 67kg
Para Rowing (2 Athletes)
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Anita – PR3 Mix Dbl Sculls-PR3Mix2x
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Naryana Konganapalle – PR3 Mix Dbl Sculls-PR3Mix2x
Para Shooting (10 Athletes)
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Amir Ahmad Bhat – P3 – Mixed 25m Pistol SH1
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Avani Lekhara – R2 – Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1, R3 – Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1, R8 – Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1
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Mona Agarwal – R2 – Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1, R6 – Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH1, R8 – Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1
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Nihal Singh – P3 – Mixed 25m Pistol SH1, P4 – Mixed 50m Pistol SH1
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Manish Narwal – P1 – Men’s 10m Air Pistol SH1
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Rudransh Khandelwal – P1 – Men’s 10m Air Pistol SH1, P4 – Mixed 50m Pistol SH1
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Sidhartha Babu – R3 – Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1, R6 – Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH1
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Deepender Singh – P1 – Men’s 10m Air Pistol SH1, P3 – Mixed 25m Pistol SH1
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Sidhartha Rathore – R7 – Men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1, R1 – Men’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1
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Swapnil Smadhurkar – R7 – Men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1
Para Swimming (4 Athletes)
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Suyash Jadhav – Men’s 50m Butterfly S7, Men’s 200m Individual Medley SM7
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Niranjan Mukundan – Men’s 50m Butterfly S7, Men’s 100m Freestyle S7
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Paralympian Advait Bhartiya – Men’s 100m Breaststroke SB11
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Nashik Nikhil Mandhare – Men’s 100m Breaststroke SB11
Para Table Tennis (2 Athletes)
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Bhavina Patel – Women’s Singles Class 4
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Sonu Sharma – Men’s Singles Class 7
Para Taekwondo (2 Athletes)
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Aruna Tanwar – Women’s K44 -49kg
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Neetu Gulia – Women’s K44 -58kg
India’s participation in the Paris 2024 Paralympics is a testament to the country’s growing strength and depth in para-sports. With a well-rounded contingent across various sports, expectations are high for India to better its performance from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, where the nation secured an impressive haul of 19 medals, including 5 golds. The athletes are gearing up to showcase their skills and bring glory to the nation on the world stage.
Author
Rishab is an aspiring sports journalist, currently pursuing his master’s in multimedia journalism at Christ University, Bangalore. Having previously worked with various organizations such as TheNewsMinute, TimesNetwork, DeccanHerald, and Sportskeeda, he is an avid sports enthusiast.