Para-athletes set new benchmarks, return home with record 29 medals

India's para-athletes returned from the Paralympic Games with their heads held high after delivering a spectacular performance, finishing with a record haul of 29 medals, including seven golds.

India's para-athletes returned from the Paralympic Games with their heads held high after delivering a spectacular performance, finishing with a record haul of 29 medals, including seven golds. Established names lived up to expectations, while many newcomers made the grand stage their own, marking a significant milestone in the nation's journey towards becoming a para-sports powerhouse.

The feat is remarkable for a country that only began making its presence felt in the 2016 edition of the Games, winning four medals. Since then, India's performance trajectory has been meteoric, with the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics yielding 19 medals a number surpassed by the extraordinary achievements in Paris.

What makes this campaign even more commendable is that many of the medalwinning performances were personal bests and recordbreaking efforts. This speaks volumes about the athletes' growth, not only in terms of physical capabilities but also in self-belief.

India's 29 medals came from five sports, with 17 medals secured in track and field events alone. This ensured a top-20 finish for the country in the medal standings, a remarkable improvement from its past performances.

China, with its formidable contingent, once again dominated the Paralympics with over 200 medals, but India's presence was clearly felt.

Although India is still far from being a dominant force in the Olympics, the country has firmly established itself as a force to be reckoned with in para-sports.