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During a recent interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Paris Paralympic gold medalist Navdeep Singh shared insights into his journey and the challenges he faced during his second Paralympic participation.
Navdeep admitted to feeling nervous at the beginning of the competition. However, he credited his senior teammates for providing invaluable support and motivation. "...This was my second Paralympic participation...I was very nervous but all the senior athletes motivated me. I talked to them and gained experience, and by the end, I was absolutely relaxed ahead of my game," Navdeep recounted. https://x.com/ANI/status/1834448472470421757 The support from his peers not only eased his anxiety but also helped him perform at his best, ultimately leading to his gold medal victory in the men's javelin F41 event. During his meeting with PM Modi on Thursday, Navdeep presented the PM with a cap. PM Modi sat down as Navdeep gently put the cap on PM Modi's head. He went on to ask PM Modi to sign the left side of his jacket, which is his throwing arm as well. PM Modi humbly agreed and signed an autograph on his left arm. Navdeep's silver medal was upgraded to gold after the initial winner, the Islamic Republic of Iran's Sadegh Beit Sayah, got disqualified from the final. He had initially finished second with a personal-best throw of 47.32m, while Sadegh, before the disqualification, stood at the top with a Paralympic record of 47.64m. Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse, and Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) president Devendra Jhajharia were also present during the meeting. PM Modi interacted with Paralympians who represented India in the recently concluded para multi-sport event. During the meeting, Paralympic gold medallist Avani Lekhara gifted the Prime Minister a signed Indian jersey. The Indian contingent concluded its Paralympics campaign in Paris on Sunday with a record haul of 29 medals, including seven golds, nine silvers, and 13 bronzes. The 29-medal tally is the most by India in the history of the Paralympics. Following the conclusion of the landmark campaign, India surpassed its record medal tally of 19, which was achieved at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. India ended the marquee event in the 18th position. India rewrote several records and unlocked some new "firsts" at the Paralympic Games. Para-shooter Avani Lekhara became the first ever Indian woman to secure two Paralympic gold medals as she managed to defend her women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 shooting title with a world record score of 249.7 points. Harvinder Singh wrote history after claiming India's first-ever gold medal in para-archery at the Paralympics. He was named flagbearer for India for the closing ceremony alongside Preeti Pal. (ANI)
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