Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], August 13 : President of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), Devendra Jhajharia, is confident that the Indian contingent with its largest contingent at the Paris Paralympics will win more than 25 medals.
India will look to continue the momentum of winning 19 medals at the Tokyo Paralympics and a historic 111-medal haul at the Para Asian Games.
India has fielded its largest-ever contingent of 84 athletes for the Paris Paralympics starting from August 28. The 84 athletes will compete in 12 sports, including archery, athletics, badminton, canoeing, cycling, blind judo, powerlifting, rowing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, and taekwondo.
Jhajharia expressed his confidence in the team's potential, and said in a press conference on Tuesday, "This is the biggest para contingent India has ever sent to the Paralympics. We are very confident about the overall performance and are sure to win more than 25 medals."
"Most of our athletes are in excellent shape, having trained rigorously for this event. We expect outstanding results, particularly in athletics, badminton, archery, and shooting. They are ready to make India proud," he added.
The team boasts a mix of experienced athletes, many of whom are participating in their second or third Paralympics.
Their exposure to global competition and consistent performances on the big stage will make them strong contenders for a spot at the podium.
Among them, Amit Kumar Saroha, a seasoned athlete competing in his fourth Paralympics, will represent India in the F51 category in discus throw.
The Asian Para Games medallist and Arjuna Awardee is the oldest member of the contingent. On the other end of the spectrum, the youngest athlete is Sheetal Devi, who recently made headlines by winning gold medals in individual compound and mixed team events in archery at the 2023 Asian Para Games.
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