The Paris Paralympic Games 2024 came to a close on Sunday with Pooja Ojha representing India as the last athlete in action. Ojha did not advance to the final of the women’s kayak 200m event, marking the end of India’s participation. The country concluded the Games with a total of 29 medals—seven gold, nine silver, and 13 bronze—making it their most successful Paralympic campaign to date. India finished 18th in the medal standings.
Pakistan, on the other hand, finished joint-last at 79th place with just one bronze medal.
India’s performance in Paris was notable, surpassing several prominent nations such as Switzerland, Belgium, South Korea, Turkey, and Argentina. This impressive showing places India among the top 20 nations globally.
In contrast, traditional Paralympic powerhouses like China, Great Britain, the USA, and Italy continued their strong performances, securing spots in the top 10. India’s achievements in Paris set a high bar and the country is expected to aim for an even better performance at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.
The 29th and final medal for India came courtesy of Navdeep Singh, who clinched a gold in the men’s javelin throw F41 category on Saturday. Initially, Singh was awarded silver after a throw of 47.32 meters, surpassing world record holder Sun Pengxiang of China. However, Singh’s medal was upgraded to gold after Iran’s Sadegh Beit Sayah was disqualified for unsporting behavior, specifically for displaying a controversial flag. Sayah, who had set a Paralympic record with a 47.64m throw, was disqualified under the International Paralympic Committee’s rules against political gestures.
At the same venue, Simran, guided by Abhay Singh, achieved a personal best of 24.75 seconds in the women’s 200m (T12) to secure a bronze medal. Simran, who was born prematurely with visual impairments, is a reigning world champion in this event. Her performance helped her bounce back after finishing fourth in the 100m earlier in the Games.
Track-and-field events were a major contributor to India’s medal haul, accounting for 17 medals, including four golds. Overall, India ranked 15th, with China leading the standings with an impressive 208 medals, including 90 gold.
Navdeep Singh’s gold medal is a significant achievement, especially after his fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Games. As an Income Tax Department inspector, Singh has won multiple national-level medals since 2017 and earned a bronze at the para-world championships earlier this year.
Simran, who won two silver medals at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou last year and secured three gold medals in various events at the Khelo India Para Games, is coached by her husband, Naik Gajendra Singh.
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