India's first medal in the Paralympics came in the 1972 Games, with Murlikant Petkar winning a gold medal in swimming. Up to the recent 2024 Games, India have won 60 medals across all Paralympic Games, with the most successful Paralympic campaign being the Paris 2024 Games with 29 medals including seven gold, nine silver and thirteen bronze.
History
Stoke Mandeville Games (1960–1984)
The ninth International Stoke Mandville Games was later designated as the first Paralympics in 1960 and the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation organized the Paralympic Games till 1984.[1] India made its Paralympics debut in 1968.[2] India's first medal came in the 1972 Games when Murlikant Petkar won the gold medal in the men's 50 meter freestyle event.[3][4] India missed the subsequent two Summer Paralympic Games and returned in the 1984 edition. The nation has appeared in every edition of the Summer Paralympic Games since then while it has never participated in the Winter Paralympic Games.[2] In the 1984 Games, Joginder Singh Bedi became the first Indian multi-medalist after he won a silver and two bronze medals in the athletics events. Bhimrao Kesarkar also won a silver medal in the javelin throw event to help record India's best finish till then with four medals.[5]
India sent a delegation of 19 athletes for the 2016 Summer Paralympics.[8] India won four medals in the event and the Games also marked the first instance of India winning two gold medals. Mariyappan Thangavelu won the first gold medal in the Men's high jump T42 event. Devendra Jhajharia became the first Indian to win multiple gold medals after his win in the Men's javelin throw F46 event.[5][9]Deepa Malik and Varun Bhati were the other medalists with a silver and bronze medal respectively.[5] Malik became the first Indian woman medalist in the Paralympic Games.[10]
Tokyo Games (2020)
The Indian contingent for the 2020 Games consisted of 54 people across nine sports.[11] This was the nation's most successful Games ever with 19 medals including five gold, eight silver and six bronze medals before the Paris 2024 Games.[12][13]Bhavina Patel won India's first medal, a silver in Table Tennis.[14]Avani Lekhara became the first Indian woman paralympic athlete to win a gold medal and she won another bronze medal to become the first Indian woman multiple medalist in Paralympic shooting.[15] Shooter Manish Narwal won another gold medal in 50 m pistol SH1 event and Singhraj Adhana won two shooting medals, a silver and a bronze.[16]Harvinder Singh became the first Indian to win a medal in Paralympic archery after he won a bronze medal in the men's recurve event.[17]
In badminton, Indian shuttlers won four medals including two gold medals by Pramod Bhagat and Krishna Nagar, a silver medal by Suhas Yathiraj and a bronze medal by Manoj Sarkar.[12] In athletics, India won eight medals including one gold, five silver and two bronze medals. Sumit Antil won a gold medal in Javelin throw F64 with a new world record. Mariyappan Thangavelu and Devendra Jhajharia won silver medals to go along with the gold medals they won in the 2016 Games.[12][5] This was Jhajharia third medal, which is the most by an Indian Para athlete in the Paralympic Games along with Joginder Singh Bedi.[18]Nishad Kumar and Praveen Kumar won silver medals and Sharad Kumar and Sundar Singh Gurjar were the other bronze medalists.[12][5]
Paris Games (2024)
India sent its largest contingent for the 2024 Games consisting of 84 people competing across 12 sports.[19] India has won 29 medals with seven gold, nine silver, and thirteen bronze medals making them the most successful Games ever.[20] Avani Lekhara won a gold medal in shooting for the second consecutive Games and became the first Indian woman paralympic athlete to win back-to-back gold and multiple medals.[21]Kumar Nitesh won a gold medal in badminton at the men's singles SL3 event.[22]Sumit Antil became the first Indian male athlete to defend a title at the Paralympics after he won the gold medal in the men's javelin throw F64 event, while setting two Paralympic records in the process.[23]