India Shines at Paris Paralympics with Historic Performances

India excels at the Paris Paralympics, with Rakesh Kumar triumphing in para archery and several athletes winning medals in shooting events. The nation's largest-ever Paralympics contingent aims to surpass its Tokyo 2020 achievements.

In a gripping men's individual compound open 1/8 elimination round of para archery, world No. 1 Rakesh Kumar from India delivered a stellar performance to edge out Indonesia's world No. 2, Ken Swagumilang, at the Paralympics on Sunday. Kumar triumphed in a nail-biting shoot-off after a 144-144 tie, securing victory with a 10-8 score and advancing to the quarterfinals.

India's medal tally at the ongoing Paris Paralympics has reached five, featuring one gold, one silver, and three bronze medals. Rubina clinched a bronze medal in the P2-Women's 10M Air Pistol SH-1 final with a score of 211.1 points on Saturday.

Paralympic champion Avani Lekhara continued her winning streak by claiming gold in the women's 10m air rifle final. Lekhara's personal best score of 249.7 points earned her the top podium spot. Shooter Mona Agarwal also secured bronze in the same event.

India's silver medal was won by Manish Narwal in the men's P1 10m air pistol SH1 competition. Runner Preeti earned a bronze in the T35 100m race, clocking a personal best time of 14.21 seconds.

This year marks India's largest Paralympics contingent ever, with 84 athletes competing across 12 sports. This expansion reflects India's growing para-sports ecosystem and bolstered medal aspirations. Following the success of Tokyo 2020, where India secured 19 medals, including five golds, eight silvers, and six bronzes, the nation aims to set new records in Paris.

(With inputs from agencies.)