India’s historic stint at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris saw the country win a record 29 medals, with most of them coming as bronze.
Its bronze medal tally rose by more than 100 per cent compared to the previous edition, rising from six in Tokyo to 13 at the French capital this time around. Here are the Indian bronze medal winners at the Paris Paralympics 2024:
Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar
Category: Archery (Mixed Team Compound Open)
Sheetal Devi, the only female armless archer participating in the Paris Paralympics, had a debut Summer Games to remember. She became India’s youngest Paralympic medallist, winning bronze in the mixed team compound open archery event. Earlier, she exited the individual competition in the 1/8 elimination round, losing to Tokyo silver medallist Mariana Zuniga by just one point.
Born in 2007 with phocomelia, a rare congenital disorder leading to underdeveloped limbs, Sheetal’s arms did not fully form. The Indian Army identified her core strength and ability to use her legs as effectively as one would use their arms. Her archery journey began there.
In 2023, Sheetal became the world record holder in the women’s doubles event at the Para World Championships. She also clinched a silver medal at the World Archery Para Championships, becoming the first female armless archer to do so. She ended the year ranked world No. 1 in the women’s open category.
The para-archer from Loidhar, a small village in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, gained national attention when her exploits at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games earned her three medals — two golds and a silver.
The nation was captivated by videos from the tournament, showing the young athlete effortlessly lifting the compound bow with her feet, using her mouth to hold the arrow’s nock, and consistently hitting the centre of the target board.
In 2023, Rakesh claimed gold in the mixed team event at the World Para Archery Championships and secured a golden double at the Asian Championships. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Rakesh Kumar, from Katra in Jammu and Kashmir, was born in 1985 to a carpenter and a housewife. An accident in 2010 caused paralysis in both legs, leaving him permanently wheelchair-bound.
The challenges of life nearly drove him to suicide, but Rakesh found hope when sport entered his life.
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In 2017, when an archery centre was established at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Sports Complex, he was introduced to archery during a demonstration and has stuck with it ever since.
At the Tokyo Paralympics, Rakesh finished sixth in the individual event. Alongside consistent national-level success, he won gold at the Asian Para Games in the mixed team event with Sheetal, as well as silver medals in the individual and men’s team compound events. In 2023, he claimed gold in the mixed team event at the World Para Archery Championships and secured a golden double at the Asian Championships.
Mona Agarwal
Category: Shooting (Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1)
Mona, who contracted polio at nine months old, affecting both her legs, won bronze in her first Paralympic Games. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Mona Agarwal, along with Avani Lekhara, took the podium in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event, which is for pistol shooters with movement affected in the arms and/or the lower trunk and legs, or those with missing limbs. Mona, who contracted polio at nine months old, affecting both her legs, won bronze in her first Paralympic Games.
After exploring several para-sports, including shot put, discus throw, javelin, and weightlifting, and pioneering women’s sitting volleyball in India, Mona transitioned to para-shooting in late 2021. In 2024, the 37-year-old mother of two became a Paralympic medallist.
In 2023, she won gold in the Para Shooting World Cup in New Delhi, which also helped her secure a spot for the Paris Paralympics. She then partnered with Aadithya Giri to win a silver medal in the mixed team air rifle standing (SH1) event.
The Lower Division Clerk in Jaipur District Court followed that with another gold in the Para Shooting World Cup in Changwon, Korea, one month later.
Preethi Pal
Category: Athletics (Women’s 100m, 200m T35)
Preethi set the tone for India’s athletics contingent at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. The 23-year-old from Meerut clinched a bronze medal in the women’s 100m T35 event with a personal best time of 14.21 seconds. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Born with weak legs and an irregular posture, few in her village expected Preethi Pal to even survive. She had to wear callipers from the age of five to 13.
However, she defied expectations and proved her doubters wrong.
Preethi set the tone for India’s athletics contingent at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. The 23-year-old from Meerut clinched a bronze medal in the women’s 100m T35 event with a personal best time of 14.21 seconds.
The T35 classification is for athletes with coordination impairments such as hypertonia, ataxia, and athetosis.
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Not only was this India’s first athletics medal at the ongoing edition, but it also marked the first time an Indian stood on the podium for a track event in Paralympic history.
Preethi, who trains in Delhi under coach Gajendra Singh, also won a bronze in the 200m event in the same classification, making her the second woman, after Avani, to win two Paralympic medals at the same edition.
Rubina Francis
Category: Shooting (Women’s 10m Air Pistol SH1)
She secured her first Paralympic quota at the Lima 2021 World Cup and became India’s first female pistol para-shooter at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Rubina Francis became the first Indian woman pistol shooter to secure a medal at the Paralympics when she clinched bronze in the women’s air pistol SH1 event. This category is for athletes with upper and/or lower limb impairments who can hold their gun without difficulty and shoot from a standing or sitting position.
Hailing from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Rubina was born with leg dysfunction and faced financial constraints when she took up shooting in 2015. She secured her first Paralympic quota at the Lima 2021 World Cup and became India’s first female pistol para-shooter at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
Building on her Tokyo success, Rubina continued to excel on the international stage. She won a bronze medal at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games and followed it up with a string of impressive performances at the 2023 Para Shooting World Cups.
Her winning streak began in Osijek with a silver medal, and she subsequently clinched a bronze in Changwon. Rubina’s contributions to team events further solidified her status as a leading para-shooter.
Manisha Ramadass
Category: Badminton (Women’s Singles SU5)
In 2022, Ramadass first year on the international circuit, she collected 11 gold and five bronze medals, becoming World No. 1 in her category. | Photo Credit: PTI
Manisha Ramadass became the first Indian woman to win a para-badminton medal at the Paralympics after clinching bronze in the women’s singles SU5 category, which is for athletes with impairment in the upper limbs in the playing or non-playing hand.
The 19-year-old was born with Erb’s Palsy, a nerve condition in the shoulder and arm that results in weakness or loss of muscle function. Manisha began her journey in 2019, competing alongside able-bodied players in the domestic circuit.
In 2022, her first year on the international circuit, she collected 11 gold and five bronze medals, becoming World No. 1 in her category. She also won the 2022 World Championships and was named BWF Female Para Badminton Player of the Year 2022.
Her success continued with a silver in the singles and a bronze in doubles with Mandeep Kaur at the 2024 World Championships.
Nithya Sre Sivan
Category: Badminton (Women’s Singles SH6)
Nithya, who trains in Lucknow under national team coach Gaurav Khanna, also won two bronze medals at the 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, in women’s doubles and mixed doubles. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
What started as a hobby with her friends has brought Nithya Sre Sivan multiple accolades on the international stage.
She won bronze in the para-badminton women’s singles SH6 at the 2024 Paralympic Games after a 21-14, 21-6 win over Indonesia’s Rina Marlina in the bronze medal match. The SH6 class is for athletes with short stature.
The 19-year-old’s only loss at the Games came against China’s Lin Shuangbao, once in the group stage and again in the semifinals. She also came close to bagging a medal in the mixed doubles SH6 with Sivarajan Solaimalai but lost in the bronze medal match against Indonesia’s Marlina and her partner Subhan.
Nithya, who trains in Lucknow under national team coach Gaurav Khanna, also won two bronze medals at the 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, in women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
Deepthi Jeevanji
Category: Athletics (Women’s 400m T20)
On September 3, Deepthi Jeevanji (second from right) put Kalleda, a village in the Warangal district of Telangana, on the world map with her remarkable performance. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Deepthi Jeevanji came into the limelight after breaking the women’s 400m T20 world record on her way to winning gold at the World Championships in Kobe earlier this year.
Making her Paralympic debut, Deepthi was one of India’s top prospects in track events at Stade de France, and the 20-year-old did not disappoint. She qualified for the final as the Heat 1 topper, though Türkiye’s Aysel Onder broke Deepthi’s world record of 55.07 seconds in another heat.
In the final, Deepthi was heading for a historic silver medal before Onder overtook her at the finish, with Ukraine’s Yuliia Shuliar clinching gold.
Nevertheless, it was not just a memorable triumph for Deepthi but also for her parents, Jeevanji Yadhagiri and Jeevanji Dhanalaxmi, both daily wage labourers.
Despite being advised by fellow villagers to abandon their eldest child, who was born with unusual features and intellectual impairments, the couple always stood by Deepthi. On September 3, she put Kalleda, a village in the Warangal district of Telangana, on the world map with her remarkable performance.
Mariyappan Thangavelu
Category: Athletics (Men’s High Jump T63)
With this third Paralympic medal, Mariyappan (in picture) now ranks among India’s most successful Paralympians, joining the ranks of Avani, Devendra Jhajharia, and Joginder Singh Bedi. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
A veteran of three Paralympic Games, Mariyappan Thangavelu secured bronze in the men’s high jump T63 at Paris 2024. He won gold in the men’s high jump T42 category on his Paralympics debut in 2016 and followed it up with silver in Tokyo 2021 in the T63 category.
Born in Periavadagampatti in Salem, Tamil Nadu, Mariyappan was raised by his mother, who worked as a daily wage labourer to support her family of six. The 29-year-old suffered permanent disability in his right leg after an accident involving a drunk bus driver.
In 2024, Mariyappan also won gold at the World Championships in Kobe, five years after winning bronze at the 2019 World Championships in Dubai. He also has a silver medal from the Asian Para Games in Jakarta in 2018.
With this third Paralympic medal, Mariyappan now ranks among India’s most successful Paralympians, joining the ranks of Avani, Devendra Jhajharia, and Joginder Singh Bedi.
Sundar Singh Gurjar
Category: Athletics (Men’s Javelin Throw F46)
At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Sundar Singh Gurjar replicated his Tokyo bronze medal, becoming a two-time Paralympic medallist. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Sundar Singh Gurjar transitioned to para-sports after his left hand was amputated in 2015 following an accident when a tin roof fell on him. At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, he replicated his Tokyo bronze medal, becoming a two-time Paralympic medallist.
Hailing from Rajasthan, Sundar competes in the men’s javelin F46 category, which is for athletes with arm or hand impairments, such as above- or below-elbow amputations.
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Despite losing his hand and battling depression, Sundar persevered, qualifying for the Rio 2016 Paralympics but was disqualified after missing the roll call. However, he bounced back and won three gold medals in javelin, shot put, and discus throw at the 2017 FAZZA IPC Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai.
In 2022, Sundar set a world record at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou with a throw of 68.60 metres, after securing silver in the previous edition. He also earned a bronze in discus throw F46 in Jakarta.
Kapil Parmar
Category: Blind Judo (Men’s -60kg J1)
Kapil also had to endure financial hardships in his journey. At one point, he and his brother Lalit had to run a tea stall to support his passion for judo. And now, his perseverance has paid off on the world stage. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Kapil Parmar made history as the first Indian to win a Paralympic medal in judo, clinching bronze in the men’s -60kg J1 category at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Hailing from Shivor village in Madhya Pradesh, Kapil’s life changed drastically after a near-fatal electrocution accident as a child, which left him in a coma for six months and severely affected his vision.
At his lowest point, Kapil found solace in blind judo. He shifted to Lucknow to train at the Indian Blind and Para Judo Academy, where he began to make a name for himself. In 2019, he won his first international medal at the Commonwealth Championships in Birmingham, followed by several accolades at IBSA Judo Grand Prix events. He won silver at the 2022 Asian Para Games and gold at the IBSA Judo Grand Prix in Tbilisi earlier this year.
Kapil also had to endure financial hardships in his journey. At one point, he and his brother Lalit had to run a tea stall to support his passion for judo. And now, his perseverance has paid off on the world stage.
Hokato Hotozhe Sema
Category: Athletics (Men’s Shot Put F57)
In 2023, Hokato won a bronze medal at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou and narrowly missed the podium at the 2024 World Championships before sealing his Paralympic medal in Paris. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
40-year-old Havildar Hokato Hotozhe Sema of the 9 Assam Regiment became the first athlete from Nagaland to win a Paralympic medal after securing bronze in the men’s shot put F57 event with a personal best throw of 14.65 metres.
A landmine blast while on duty in Jammu and Kashmir in 2002 resulted in the amputation of Hokato’s left leg below the knee, ending his dream of joining the Special Forces. Encouraged by his seniors, he began training in athletics, competing in the F57 category, which is for athletes with a limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power, or impaired range of movement.
In 2023, Hokato won a bronze medal at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou and narrowly missed the podium at the 2024 World Championships before sealing his Paralympic medal in Paris.
Simran Sharma
Category: Athletics (Women’s 200m T12)
Born prematurely at six and a half months, Simran was visually impaired and required six months of incubator care. Inspired by her father, Manoj Sharma, she pursued sports and trained under Naik Gajendra Singh, whom she married in 2023. | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
Simran Sharma clinched a bronze medal in the women’s 200m T12 final at the Paris 2024 Paralympics by clocking a personal best time of 24.75 seconds, alongside her guide Abhay Singh. (The T12 class is for runners with visual impairments, hence athletes compete with a guide on the track.)
This medal came after the Ghaziabad-born athlete agonisingly missed out on a bronze medal in the 100m event.
Born prematurely at six and a half months, Simran was visually impaired and required six months of incubator care. Inspired by her father, Manoj Sharma, she pursued sports and trained under Naik Gajendra Singh, whom she married in 2023.
Simran became the first Indian para-athlete to qualify for the Tokyo Paralympics but she did not get any medals. At the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, she won two silver medals in the 100m and 200m T12 events. Earlier this year, she also claimed a gold medal at the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan.
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