Tokyo: Consisting of several Indian major medals for Paralympics, the Indian athletic team has sent a 24-athletes’ contingent to Tokyo this year.
This list includes the gold medalist Rio Paralympics ThangaveLu Mariyappan, which won a valuable medal in a men’s high leap in the T42 category.
Although Mariyappan has missed the opening ceremony after being closely related to Covid 19 patients, he had been cleaned to compete with the organizing committee as long as he tested the negative for the Covid-19 virus.
In addition to Mariyappan, the athletic team also consists of the legendary Javelin Thrower of India Devendra Jhjhariah, who currently holds world records from the F46 category for its name and is the first and only double gold medalist in India in a Paralympic match.
India has reduced the contingent of eight strong Javelin Throws including Jhjharia and they all hold a strong position in the world ranking and will aim to win a prestigious medal at the Tokyo Paralympic Olympics.
These include Sandeep Chaudhary (F44 category), Antil Sumit (F64 category), Sundar Singh Gurjar (F46 category), AJEET Singh Yadav (F46 category), Navdeep (F41 category), and Ranjeet Bhati (F57 category).
India also has a strong dispute in a men’s height, where other than Mariyappan, which will aim to get a second straight paralympic gold medal, India has a medalist Rio Bronze Varun Singh Bhati who will aim to change the color of the medal in the F42 category, Sharad Kumar, who is currently ranked 2nd in the world (F42 category), number 3 Praveen Kumar (T44 category), Nishad Kumar (Category T47) and Ram Pal Chahar (Category T47).
Two other names that must be watched out for throws will be shot by Soman shutter who competes in the F57 category and is currently ranked 2nd in the world and discus Thrower Yogesh Kathuniya who competes in the F56 category and has won a bronze medal in the World of Athletics Championship, Dubai 2019.
India has a strong history on the track and paralympics field events that won 10 of their 12 medals on field events.
Seeing their past history in Paralympics, the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs established a professional setting under the Olympic Podium Scheme (Puncak) target at the Indian Sports Authority (SAI) for the management of athletes.
The team has a dedicated wing management personnel and athletes working with 55 athletes who are currently part of the peak core group.
In this Olympic cycle, peak athletes have been given government support such as foreign exposure trips for training, financial assistance for coaches, physios & massage along with financial assistance to get prosthesis, electrical wheelchairs, and sports equipment.
Many athletes like T.
Mariyappan, Bhyan Ekta, Varun Bhati, and Amit Saroha have been employed by Sai as coaches or assistant coaches to help train the generations of the next athletes.
Indian representation in the Tokyo paralympics athletic event will begin on Friday and conclude on September 4.