Triumph and Trials: India's Paralympic Journey

Indian paralympian Deepthi Jeevanji clinched a bronze in the women's 400m (T20) event, contributing to India's 16-medal tally. Despite individual challenges, India's para-athletes showed resilience and earned recognition, such as shooter Avani Lekhara's consecutive golds and Pooja Jatyan's commendable archery performance.

Indian sprinter Deepthi Jeevanji secured a bronze medal in the women's 400m (T20) at the Paralympics, marking her debut with a remarkable finish at 55.82 seconds. She follows Ukraine's Yuliia Shuliar and Turkey's Aysel Onder, the world record holder.

On Tuesday, India's medal tally reached 16, boosted by three golds with track-and-field events contributing significantly. The team currently ranks 18th in the standings, a stark contrast to Monday's medal-rich performance with seven podium finishes.

Jeevanji hails from Kalleda Village in Telangana, overcoming intellectual impairment to become a celebrated athlete. Her achievements include gold at last year's Asian Para Games and a world record at the Para World Championships.

However, Indian shooter Avani Lekhara missed a second medal, finishing fifth in women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1. Despite this, she became the first Indian woman to win consecutive Paralympic golds in the 10m air rifle event.

Bhagyashri Jadhav finished fifth in women's shot put (F34) with a throw of 7.28m. Her journey is one of remarkable resilience, having battled depression after a debilitating accident in 2006.

Archer Pooja Jatyan reached the quarterfinals in recurve women's open archery, ultimately losing to China's bronze medalist Wu Chunyan. Pooja had taken an early lead but succumbed to pressure, allowing Chunyan to make a comeback.

(With inputs from agencies.)