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The Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya, along with the Union Minister, Raksha Khadse, felicitated members of the Indian Paralympic contingent here in the national capital on Tuesday.
Mandaviya and Khadse extended their heartfelt congratulations to the athletes, celebrating their incredible achievements at the Paris Paralympics. While addressing the athletes, Mandaviya expressed the pride and joy felt by the entire nation. He assured them that the government of India will continue to extend full support to athletes and coaches, leaving no stone unturned to ensure they reach their highest potential. He also motivated the athletes to prepare for future Paralympics with unwavering spirit and determination, according to a press release by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Highlighting the government's commitment to nurturing sports talent, Mandaviya stated that 50 of the 84 participants in the Paris Paralympics were supported through the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), while others were beneficiaries of the Khelo India programme, National Centres of Excellence (NCOE), or other government support initiatives. Reflecting on India's performance trajectory in recent years, he emphasised the country's significant progress, which is mirrored in the number of medals won at the Paralympic Games. He proudly mentioned that India secured 29 medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, compared to 19 medals at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, marking a substantial improvement. Mandaviya also highlighted several significant achievements from the Paris 2024 Paralympics, including the highest-ever number of double podium finishes for India, with five such instances. He further acknowledged the outstanding consistency shown by 11 athletes who won medals in back-to-back editions of the Paralympics. Additionally, 12 debutant athletes made a remarkable impact by winning their first Paralympic medals. The event also witnessed the setting of five new records, with one world record and four Paralympic records. Further demonstrating the government's commitment to supporting para-athletes, Mandaviya mentioned that the allocation of support staff exceeded 100 per cent, surpassing the standard 30 per cent limit to meet the specific needs of para-athletes and their personal coaches. He also proudly announced that the Paris 2024 Paralympics witnessed historic participation by Indian athletes, with 46 participating for the first time and a record number of 32 Indian women athletes competing in the Games. The 17 medallists present today included: Para-athlete gold medallists: Navdeep, Dharambir, Sumit Antil, Praveen Kumar Silver medallists: Yogesh Kathuniya, Nishad Kumar, Sharad Kumar, Ajeet Singh, Sachin Khilari Bronze medallists: Preeti Pal, Mariyappan, Hokato Sema, Sundar Singh Gurjar, and Simran Sharma. Para-Archery medallists: Harvinder Singh (gold) and Sheetal Devi (bronze) as well as Kapil Parmar (bronze) from Para-Judo. (ANI)
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