Express View: An Indian record at Paris Paralympics
For a country with 1.4 billion-plus people that is counted among the also-rans at the Olympics, the Paralympics underway in Paris have brought good news. With a few days left for the closing ceremony, the Indian contingent is all set to go past its best-ever medal haul. Athletics, badminton, shooting and archery have been the highlights of the performance, which has brought a smile back on the faces of Indian sports fans after the largely underwhelming show at the recent Olympics.
The modest haul of six Olympics medals owed much to the contributions by pistol shooter Manu Bhaker, who climbed the podium twice. In the Paralympics, it has been Avani Lekhara who kept the tricolour flying high at the shooting range. The 22-year-old from Jaipur successfully defended the gold medal she won in the 10 metre air rifle SH1 category at the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago. She also won a bronze in the 50m rifle three positions event in Japan, making her the most successful Paralympian in Indian history with three medals. That she won both her gold medals breaking Paralympic records, is testament to her drive for excellence. A car accident when she was 11 left Avani with complete paraplegia, which impairs the functioning of the lower extremities of the body. The feats of Avani and armless archer Sheetal Devi are immensely inspiring.
Many of the women medallists who have contributed to India’s haul at the Paralympics come from modest backgrounds, and have had to overcome multiple barriers. Their achievements show what is possible with courage and resolve, no matter how daunting the odds