India won a record seven gold medals at the 2024 Paralympic Games, which was two more than the Tokyo edition. Here are the Indian gold medal winners in Paris.
Navdeep Singh
Category: Athletics (Men’s Javelin Throw F41)
Navdeep Singh secured India’s seventh gold medal in the men’s javelin throw F41 category, an event for athletes of short stature. After narrowly missing the podium at the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago and the Asian Para Games last year, the 23-year-old’s perseverance finally paid off.
Initially, Navdeep won silver, but this was upgraded to gold after Iran’s Sadegh Beit Sayah, the original gold medallist, was disqualified for violating Rule 8.1 of the World Para Athletics Rules and Regulations (Code of Conduct and Ethics). Navdeep’s personal best throw of 47.32 metres was reinstated as the new Paralympic record.
Born prematurely in 2000 in Panipat, Haryana, Navdeep’s challenges began early. His parents realised he had dwarfism when he was two years old, setting the stage for a life filled with challenges. Growing up, he endured not only the rigours of training but also cruel taunts from onlookers. His father, Dalbir Singh, a former national-level wrestler, provided unwavering support, encouraging him to pursue athletics.
ALSO READ: Navdeep’s silver medal upgraded after gold medallist Sadegh Beit Sayah of Iran gets disqualified
Navdeep began his athletic journey at the age of 10, initially trying his hand at wrestling and sprinting before discovering his passion for javelin throw. He made a remarkable international debut at the 2017 Asian Youth Para Games in Dubai, where he claimed gold. He followed this with another gold at the 2021 World Para Grand Prix in Dubai.
However, his journey wasn’t without setbacks. Disappointing fourth-place finishes at the Tokyo Paralympics and the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou tested his resolve. Yet, Navdeep never gave up, earning a bronze medal at the World Para Athletics Championship in Kobe earlier this year.
As the track and field competitions came to a close at the Paris Games, Navdeep’s golden throw ensured the Stade de France echoed with the Indian national anthem, solidifying India’s growing legacy in javelin on the world stage.
Praveen Kumar
Category: Athletics (Men’s High Jump T64)
Born with a short leg, Praveen never let his condition hold him back. In Paris, he cleared every height on his first attempt, securing the title with a new Asian record and personal best. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Praveen Kumar dominated the Paris Paralympics, capturing gold in the men’s high jump T64 class with a stunning performance. The final included athletes from both the T44 and T64 classes, reserved for those with limb deficiencies, such as amputations or shortened limbs.
Born with a short leg, Praveen never let his condition hold him back. In Paris, he cleared every height — from 1.89m to 2.08m — on his first attempt, securing the title with a new Asian record and personal best.
Setting new records has become a habit for the young athlete from Noida. His gold-medal jump surpassed the Asian record he set three years earlier at the Tokyo Paralympics, where, at just 18 years old, he won a silver medal with a 2.07m clearance. That performance also made him the youngest Indian para-athlete to win a medal at the 2021 Games.
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Before his Tokyo success, Praveen had already broken the previous 2.05m record at the World Para Athletics Fazza Grand Prix. A year later, he set a new Asian Games record with a 2.02m jump to claim gold.
Praveen’s athletic journey began with a passion for volleyball, but he soon shifted his focus to high jump, where he competed fiercely against able-bodied athletes. This pivot to para-athletics proved to be the right choice, as Praveen quickly rose to prominence, breaking records and making history.
Avani Lekhara
Category: Shooting (Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1)
Currently ranked fourth in the world, Avani has also won gold at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games, along with numerous accolades from Para World Cup events. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Avani Lekhara made history at the Paris Paralympics by becoming the first Indian to successfully defend her Paralympic title, winning gold in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 category. She improved upon her previous Paralympic record from Tokyo, where she scored 249.6, with a remarkable 249.7 in Paris.
Born in Jaipur, Avani was left paralysed from the waist down after a car accident. Her father, Praveen, played a pivotal role in her recovery, encouraging her to explore sports as a means of physical and mental rehabilitation. She initially tried archery and swimming before discovering her passion for shooting at a local range.
Inspired by Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra, Avani’s dedication paid off as she won both gold in the 10m Air Rifle SH1 and bronze in the 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 during her debut Paralympic campaign in Tokyo. She became the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold and the first to secure multiple medals at the Games.
Alongside her athletic achievements, Avani has managed to balance her training with her pursuit of a law degree. Her success in Tokyo also earned her an out-of-turn appointment as Assistant Conservator of Forests by the Government of Rajasthan.
In the lead-up to the Paris Paralympics, Avani faced challenges, including a recurring gallbladder issue that required surgery, sidelining her for a month and a half during the final stretch of her preparation. Despite this, she triumphed once again.
Currently ranked fourth in the world, Avani has also won gold at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games, along with numerous accolades from Para World Cup events.
Nitesh Kumar
Category: Badminton (Men’s Singles SL3)
The 29-year-old Nitesh ensured the gold stayed with India by saving a match point and clinching a 21-14, 18-21, 23-21 victory over the second-seeded Bethell. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Pramod Bhagat had achieved a remarkable milestone by winning the first-ever Paralympic gold medal in badminton at the Tokyo Games, claiming the men’s singles SL3 category title with a victory over Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell.
Three years later in Paris, Bethell faced an Indian player once again, but it was not Bhagat — who was suspended for breaching the Badminton World Federation’s anti-doping regulations — but Nitesh Kumar, a Paralympic debutant.
The 29-year-old Nitesh ensured the gold stayed with India by saving a match point and clinching a 21-14, 18-21, 23-21 victory over the second-seeded Bethell. This win marked Nitesh’s first-ever victory over Bethell in their 10 encounters.
“I have lost in such situations against him before, and I didn’t want to repeat the same mistakes. I had lost my composure in the past, so I told myself to keep fighting for every point. At 19-20 in the decider, I reminded myself to stay focused and make him earn each point,” Nitesh said after his win.
SL3 class players, who have severe lower limb disabilities, play on a half-width court, hitting the shuttle on only one side of the field. Nitesh lost his left leg in a train accident in 2009.
Inspired by Bhagat during his time at IIT Mandi, Nitesh took up the sport and began his competitive journey in 2016 at the nationals in Faridabad. He faced Bhagat in the final of the 2022 World Championships, losing in two tight games.
At the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou last year, Nitesh showcased his talent by winning gold in men’s doubles, silver in singles, and bronze in mixed doubles.
Dharambir
Category: Athletics (Men’s Club Throw 51)
After finishing ninth and tenth in the 2016 and 2020 Paralympic Games, Dharambir (centre) triumphed at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, winning gold in the club throw F51 category with a new Asian record of 34.92m. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
In 2012, Dharambir was left paralyzed from the waist down after a diving accident that brought him into contact with rocks under a canal.
Two years later, in 2014, he took up club throw—the Paralympic equivalent of the hammer throw—under the guidance of Amit Kumar Saroha, who had also transitioned to the sport after a car accident ended his hockey career.
After finishing ninth and tenth in the 2016 and 2020 Paralympic Games, Dharambir triumphed at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, winning gold in the club throw F51 category with a new Asian record of 34.92m. His compatriot, Pranav Soorma, secured silver, while their coach, Amit Kumar, finished 10th. The sight of the three Indians ringing the winner’s bell together was one of the highlights of the Games.
The 35-year-old Dharambir also won bronze at the 2018 Asian Para Games, followed by a silver medal at the Hangzhou edition.
Sumit Antil
Category: Athletics (Men’s Javelin Throw F64)
Sumit Antil effortlessly staked his claim to the podium top step, breaking his own world record three times in the process. He finished with a world-top mark of 68.55m, which also became the new Paralympic record. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Sumit Antil is among a select few athletes in Indian para sports who have managed to extend their dominance across two Paralympic cycles. Sumit shot into the public spotlight when he won gold in the men’s javelin F64 event at the Tokyo Paralympics, his maiden campaign in the tournament, three years ago.
He effortlessly staked his claim to the podium top step, breaking his own world record three times in the process. He finished with a world-top mark of 68.55m, which also became the new Paralympic record.
Always a sports buff, Sumit nursed ambitions to enlist for the Indian Army. Staying true to the culture in Haryana, Sumit first trained to be a wrestler, but losing a leg in a bike accident on his way home from training changed his life and career’s trajectories completely.
Given his father served in the Air Force, Sumit received treatment at the Army Hospital and was given a prosthetic limb attached to his left lower leg.
Sumit discovered para sports after meeting another para athlete, Rajkumar, during his B.Com. education in Ramjas College, Delhi. This is also when he met his coaches, Virender Dhankar — who won the shot put silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games — and Naval Singh.
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One of the first things he asked the duo then was what the world record was in javelin throw. His coaches chided him for such lofty ambitions then, but little did they know that he would go on to reset the world record eight times in the next five-odd years.
Sumit defended his gold medal in the Paris Summer Games with another Paralympic record — a massive 70.59m throw. This despite nursing a recurring back injury. He wanted another world record mark but couldn’t push hard enough to go past his own record of 73.29m, which he set at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games.
Sumit is the first Indian man to successfully defend his Paralympic title and is eyeing a historic three-peat in Los Angeles in 2028.
Harvinder Singh
Category: Archery (Men’s Individual Recurve Open)
Harvinder found his calling in archery after being inspired by following the 2012 London Paralympics. His first major success in the sport was a gold medal in the 2018 Jakarta Asian Para Games. | Photo Credit: AFP
Harvinder Singh entered annals of sporting folklore by becoming the first Indian to win a medal in para archery — a bronze in the men’s individual compound open category. Three years later, he upgraded that medal to a historic gold, keeping calm and seeing off formidable opponents and his own nerves to finish on the top step of the podium.
Harvinder was born to a farming family in Haryana’s Kaithal district. When he was just a year and a half old, he contracted dengue. A local doctor administered injections, which had an adverse effect on him, leading to a loss of function in his legs. While Harvinder worked his way back to mobility, the incident left him with permanently impaired movement.
Harvinder found his calling in archery after being inspired by following the 2012 London Paralympics. His first major success in the sport was a gold medal in the 2018 Jakarta Asian Para Games.
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted his career trajectory too, like it did for scores of athletes around the world, but Harvinder was determined to keep perfecting his skills in archery. He requested his father to help him turn their farm into an archery range so he could keep training. The hard work paid off when he clinched bronze in Tokyo.
Between the Tokyo and Paris Summer Games, Harvinder won bronze in the Hangzhou Asian Games men’s team event in 2022 and a silver in the Asian Para Archery Championship in 2023.
While he went from strength to strength in sporting merit, Harvinder also balanced his academic pursuits on the side, doing a doctorate in economics from Punjabi University in Patiala.
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