Now is the time for other citizens to support these athletes and acknowledge their extraordinary bravery.
The outstanding display of the paralympic competitors from India in Paris is evidence of their tenacity and fortitude.
The competitors improved their performance from the Tokyo Paralympics by 10 medals and rose to a world ranking of 18 with a total of 29 medals, including seven gold, nine silver, and thirteen bronze. Avani Lakhera, Praveen Kumar, Sumit Antil, Nitesh Kumar, and Harvinder Singh—who captured India’s first-ever gold in archery—are among the sportsmen who have become well-known in the country. The youngest member of the Indian contingent and an example to others born with disabilities is 17-year-old Sheetal Devi, the armless archer who earned a bronze medal.
After losing his left leg in a landmine explosion during a counterterrorism operation in Jammu and Kashmir 22 years prior, Havaldar Hokato Hotozhe Sema blazed through the Paris stage, taking home a bronze medal in shotput. Athletes competing in track and field excelled at the Paralympics, highlighting the enormous advancements the nation has achieved in this area. Future para athletes can learn from their brave experiences and never-give-up attitude. The government and athletic associations deserve praise for creating an environment that is conducive to the success of these athletes. The number of Indian athletes in Paris increased from five in Beijing to eighty, with a corresponding quantum spike in officials and support staff.
Friends and neighbours should now support these athletes and recognise their extraordinary bravery. Corporates have an obligation to support the paralympic athletes financially and provide for them so they may concentrate on their sport. To ensure that Indian para-athletes succeed on the global arena, sporting infrastructure needs to be adapted to their demands. Building disabled-friendly infrastructure in public areas and improving accessibility to public transport are urgently needed in a nation that pays so little attention to their needs. Our brave Paralympians deserve this.
