Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday applauded India’s para-athletes for their outstanding medal-winning performances at the Paris Paralympics. He specifically congratulated Mariyappan Thangavelu, Sharad Kumar, Sundar Singh Gurjar, and Ajeet Singh for their achievements.
Sharad Kumar secured a silver medal in the men’s high jump T63 event, with a remarkable jump of 1.88m, setting a new Paralympic record in the T42 category. He also upgraded his previous bronze medal from Tokyo. Meanwhile, Thangavelu earned a bronze with a jump of 1.85m, marking India’s second double podium finish in athletics at the Paris Games. Thangavelu became the first Indian para-athlete to win medals at three consecutive Paralympics. He previously won gold in Rio 2016 and silver in Tokyo 2020.
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PM Modi praised Sharad’s consistency and excellence, stating on X, “Sharad Kumar wins silver in Men’s High Jump T63 at #Paralympics2024! He is admired for his consistency and excellence. Congrats to him. He inspires the entire nation.”
He also commended Thangavelu, saying, “Congratulations to Mariyappan Thangavelu on winning the bronze medal in the Men’s High Jump T63 event. It is commendable that he has won medals in three consecutive editions of the Paralympics. His skills, consistency, and determination are exceptional.”
Earlier in the day, Ajeet Singh and Sundar Singh Gurjar won silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the men’s javelin throw F46 class. PM Modi lauded their achievements, calling Sundar’s performance “phenomenal” and Ajeet’s commitment “outstanding.”
With these victories, India’s medal tally at the Paris Paralympics has reached an unprecedented 20, surpassing its previous best of 19 medals from Tokyo 2020. The nation has now crossed the 50-medal mark at the Paralympics, with a current total of 51 medals.
