India at the Paralympics

India at the Paralympic Games

Flag of India
IPC code  IND
NPC Paralympic Committee of India
Paralympic history
Summer Games

India made its Summer Paralympic début at the 1968 Games, competed again in 1972, and then was absent until the 1984 Games. The country has participated in every edition of the Summer Games since then. It has never participated in the Winter Paralympic Games.[1]

In 1972 at the Heidelberg Games, Petkar swam the 50 meter freestyle in a world record time of 37.331 seconds to give India her first ever Gold. India finished 24th out of the 42 participating nations. In 1984, Joginder Singh Bedi won silver at the Men's Shot Put and followed it up with a pair of bronze winning performances in the Discus and Javelin throws. Another Indian, Bhimrao Kesarkar, won the silver medal in the Javelin. India finished 37th out of the 54 participating nations.[2]

After the success of the cooperative effort between the ICC and the IOC, which resulted in the 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul, the ICC determined the need to expand and include representatives from all nations that had disability sports programs. The 1988 Summer Paralympics were the first Paralympics in 24 years that take place in the same city as the Olympic Games. This was the first time the term Paralympic Games came into official use.They also deemed it necessary to include athletes in the decisions of the Paralympic governing body. Consequently, this body was reorganized as the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in 1989.The IPC is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. It comprises 165 National Paralympic Committees (NPC) and four disability-specific international sports federations.

India continued to participate in each Paralympic Games thereafter, but failed to make an impact till the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens when Devendra Jhajharia,[3] Javelin thrower, won gold and Rajinder Singh won bronze for powerlifting in the 56-kg category. India finished 53rd out of the 136 nation field. H. N. Girisha, an Indian athlete born with a disability in the left leg, won the silver medal in the 2012 Paralympic games held in London in the men's high jump F-42 category.

Medals by Summer Games

Games Gold Silver Bronze Total Rank
1960 Rome did not participate
1964 Tokyo did not participate
1968 Tel Aviv 0 0 0 0 -
1972 Heidelberg 1 0 0 1 25
1976 Toronto 0 0 0 0 -
1980 Arnhem 0 0 0 0 -
1984 Stoke Mandeville/New York 0 2 2 4 37
1988 Seoul 0 0 0 0 -
1992 Barcelona 0 0 0 0 -
1996 Atlanta 0 0 0 0 -
2000 Sydney 0 0 0 0 -
2004 Athens 1 0 1 2 53
2008 Beijing 0 0 0 0 -
2012 London 0 1 0 1 -
Total 2 3 3 8

Medalists

Medal Name/Team Games Sport Event
 Gold Petkar Germany 1972 Heidelberg Swimming 50m freestyle 3
 Silver Bhimrao Kesarkar United Kingdom / United States 1984 Stoke Mandeville/New York Athletics Javelin Throw L6
 Silver Joginder Singh Bedi United Kingdom / United States 1984 Stoke Mandeville/New York Athletics Shot Put L6
 Bronze Joginder Singh Bedi United Kingdom / United States 1984 Stoke Mandeville/New York Athletics Javelin Throw L6
 Bronze Joginder Singh Bedi United Kingdom / United States 1984 Stoke Mandeville/New York Athletics Discus Throw L6
 Gold Devendra Jhajharia Greece 2004 Athens Athletics Javelin throw F44/46
 Bronze Rajinder Singh Rahelu Greece 2004 Athens Powerlifting 56kg category
 Silver Girisha Nagarajegowda United Kingdom 2012 London Athletics Men's High Jump F42

Medals by Summer Sport

Sport Gold Silver Bronze Total
Athletics 1 3 2 6
Swimming 1 0 0 1
Powerlifting 0 0 1 1

2012 Games Village Controversy

During the 2012 Summer Paralympics it was reported that coaches and escorts of the Indian Team were denied accommodation in the Games Village because their permits were being used by officials of the Paralympic Committee of India.[4] The Team's 10 athletes were to be assisted by six coaches and five escorts, but only two escorts were given passes; Paralympic Committee general Secretary Ratan Singh confirmed that he had brought his son, that the Committee president had brought his wife, and the treasurer had brought his wife and daughter.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ India at the Paralympics on paralympic.org
  2. ↑ "The lesser-known Olympics". blogger. 2012-08-08. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
  3. ↑ "Never before shown: A gold medal winner from India". paralympic village. 2004-12-19. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
  4. ↑ "Not provided with escort, alleges Paralympics athlete". thehindu.com. The Hindu. September 3, 2012. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
  5. ↑ Kumar, Nandini (September 2, 2012). "Officials ditch special athletes at Paralympics". epaper.timesofindia.com. Mumbai Mirror, re-published online by e-paper. p. 22. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
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