Indian para-athletes eye 12 medals at Paralympics, Sumit Antil-led batch leaves for Paris in advance

NEW DELHI: Sumit Antil, the star javelin thrower, along with 15 other para athletes, departed for Paris as the first group of the Indian athletics team. Their goal is to secure an unprecedented five gold medals and a total of twelve medals at the upcoming Paralympics.
The team will initially reside in Parisian hotels for a few days to adjust to the conditions before moving into the Games Village on August 25, just three days prior to the Opening Ceremony.
Antil, who aims to make history as the first Indian to successfully defend his Paralympics gold medal, will be preparing at training centers in close proximity to Paris.

The para athletics events are scheduled to take place from August 30 until the closing day of the Paralympics on September 8. These competitions will be held at Stade de France, the same iconic venue where the able-bodied athletes showcased their skills during the Paris Olympics.
"Sumit Antil and some other para athletes will train at Nelson Mandela Sports Complex for a few days before entering the Games Village," para-athletics head coach Satyanarayana told PTI.
Located about 5 km from Stade de France, the Nelson Mandela Sports Complex features state-of-the-art training facilities for athletics, rugby, tennis, wheelchair tennis, and swimming.
"Some will stay at hotels near the Games Village and they can use the training facilities there during day time," he added.
Asked about Indian para-athletics team's medal prospects at the Paris Games, he said, "We are aiming for at least five gold and 12 medals in total. This will be our best performance in the Paralympics."
Satyanarayana's optimism is fueled by India's remarkable performance at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships held in Kobe, Japan, in May, where the country secured sixth place on the medal table with six gold, five silver, and six bronze medals.
Gold medalists included Antil (men's javelin F64), Deepthi Jeevanji (women's 400m T20), Sachin Khilari (men's shot put F46), Ekta Bhyan (women's club throw F51), Simran Sharma (women's 200m T12), and Mariyappan Thangavelu (men's high jump T42).
At the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, India achieved a historic haul of 19 medals, including 5 gold, 8 silver, and 6 bronze.
For the Paris Paralympics, India is sending its largest-ever contingent, with 84 athletes competing across 12 sports, 38 of whom are from the para-athletics team. Paralympic Committee of India President, Devendra Jhajharia, has projected at least 25 medals from the Games.
Antil, along with Bhagyashree Jadhav, who won silver in the women's shot put F34 at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games, will serve as joint flag bearers for India during the Opening Ceremony. This ceremony, a first to be held outside a stadium, will take place from the Champs-Elysees to Place de la Concorde in the heart of Paris.
Similarly, the Paris Olympics' Opening Ceremony was also a historic event, staged along the banks of the Seine river, marking the first time the ceremony took place outside a stadium.