Indian Para-Athletes Hail Neeraj Chopra's Influence as Paralympic Triumphs Continue

Indian para-javelin throwers Bhavanaben Chaudhary and Navdeep Singh praise Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra for boosting interest in athletics post-Tokyo Olympics. Bhavanaben and Navdeep discuss their preparation and participation in the Paris Paralympics, where India secured seven medals, including gold, silver, and bronze in various events.

Indian para-javelin throwers Bhavanaben Chaudhary and Navdeep Singh have praised the achievements of Olympic and World Champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, noting that his gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics has significantly increased public interest in athletics. Bhavanaben competes in the F46 category, while Navdeep competes in the F41 category at the Paris Paralympics.

Speaking to ANI, Bhavanaben said, "Preparation has been nice, and I will try my best to win a medal for the country. I participated in the Para-Asian Games, performed well, finished fourth, and learned a lot. I threw well in the trials as well." She added, "After Neeraj Chopra won the medal at the Olympics, people started to know about javelin and began taking an interest in athletics."

Navdeep, who competed in the Paralympics 2020 at Tokyo, also credited Neeraj for inspiring him to take up javelin. "This is my second Paralympics, and we are all excited to perform well...I started playing javelin in 2016 after watching Neeraj Chopra perform well. The Indian team is performing very well at the Paralympics, and it is motivating us a lot," said Navdeep.

India has secured a total of seven medals at the ongoing Paris Paralympics, including one gold, two silvers, and four bronze medals. Preeti Pal clinched a bronze medal in the 200m T-35 race on Sunday, making her the first Indian woman to win two medals in track & field events at the Paralympics or Olympics. Nishad Kumar claimed a silver medal in the men's high jump - T47 final, and Rubina won a bronze in the P2-Women's 10M Air Pistol SH-1 final.

Avani Lekhara continued her dominance by winning gold in the women's 10m air rifle final, with Mona Agarwal securing bronze in the same event. Manish Narwal also earned a silver in the men's P1 10m air pistol SH1 competition. This year, India has sent its largest ever Paralympics contingent of 84 athletes across 12 sports, reflecting the nation's growing para-sports ecosystem. India's participation in Paris 2024 aims to surpass its previous achievements at Tokyo 2020, where it amassed 19 medals, including five golds, eight silvers, and six bronzes. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)