Page 3 - Paralympics

Sheetal, Rakesh secure bronze in mixed compound para-archery in Paris

The Indian duo of Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar staged a remarkable comeback after the heartbreak in the semifinals to claim the bronze medal with a close 156-155 win over Italy's Eleonora Sarti and Matteo Bonacina in the mixed team compound archery competition at the Paralympics here on Monday. It is only the second time that India has won a medal in Paralympics in archery. Harvinder Singh bagged a bronze at the Tokyo edition of the Games three years ago. India won after the 17-year-old Sheetal's shot was upgraded following a revision. With just four arrows left, the Indians were trailing by a point with Sarti displaying awesome form even as her partner Bonacina struggled a bit. But the Indian pair held on to emerge winners in the end. It was a great comeback by the Indians after they went down in shoot-off following a dramatic semifinal clash against Iran's Fatemeh Hemmati and Hadi Nori.

Paralympics 2024: Nitesh and Antil add golden touch to India's medal rush

Inspired by the country's armed forces and cricket star Virat Kohli, a determined Kumar Nitesh sparkled with a gold medal on debut as India's para-badminton players joined javelin throw champion Sumit Antil in ensuring that the nation celebrated its best day at the ongoing Paralympic Games. Thanks to their heroics, India remained on course for a record-breaking medal haul. The 29-year-old engineering graduate from IIT-Mandi, who lost his left leg in a train accident back in 2009, won the top honours in the men's singles SL3 category, defeating Tokyo silver-medallist Daniel Bethell of Britain 21-14 18-21 23-21 in a gruelling final that lasted over an hour. Later in the evening, Antil hogged the limelight with his exploits as he became the first Indian man to defend Paralympic title by winning the javelin throw F64 final with a Games record of 70.59m. The 26-year-old world record holder from Sonipat in Haryana bettered his own earlier Paralympic best of 68.55m set in Tokyo while winn

Paralympics 2024: Sumit Antil to Nitesh, India medal winners on September 2

India won a total of eight medals in Paris on Monday taking their overall medal tally to 15.

Paris Paralympics 2024: India medal tally and full list of medal winners

India's para-athletes continue to excel at the Paris Paralympics 2024, with the country's medal tally reaching 15, including three gold, five silver, and seven bronze medals.

Paralympics 2024: Para-shooters Nihal Singh, Amir Ahmad Bhat eliminated

Indian shooters Nihal Singh and Amir Ahmad Bhat could not make the final of the mixed 25m pistol (SH1) competition at the Paralympics here on Monday, finishing 10th and 11th respectively in the qualifications. The two Indians showed consistency when they turned up for the qualification round in the first session. Nihal was placed fourth with a score of 287 at the end of the precision stage, while Amir was holding the eighth and final qualifying spot with 286. In the rapid stage however, both Nihal and Amir could only manage 282 for aggregate scores of 569 and 568 respectively, which were not good enough for them to clear the qualification. The top eight shooters from the qualification progress to the final. Athletes classified in SH1 are able to hold their gun without difficulty and shoot from a standing or sitting position (in a wheelchair or chair). As a rule, SH1 athletes may use a pistol or a rifle. It is the second medal-less day for the Indian shooting team that bagged four

Paralympics fans learn necessary step to support visually-impaired athletes

A soft voice from the loudspeaker reminds the restless crowd: "Shhh. Shhh." The whistle blows. Suddenly, spectators fall silent and even the slightest noise echoes through the Eiffel Tower Stadium. Fans pack the stadium, but at times, it is hard to tell. This type of ambiance is unthinkable in most sports venues, but especially in a sport like soccer, whose fans are perhaps best known for rowdiness. But this isn't ordinary soccer. This is blind football, one of two silent sports at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. Blind football and goalball are for athletes with visual impairments. When sensory input is reduced in one area, other senses pick up the slack; without sight, sound takes center stage. The ball in both sports contains a rattle or bell alerting players to its approximate location. Players yell out to each other as they navigate the field and fans are required to contain their excitement until the ball is out of play. Both sports cultivate an environment unlike any other.

Paralympics 2024: Para-shuttler Nitesh Kumar wins his maiden gold in Paris

India's Kumar Nitesh clinched his maiden gold medal at the Paralympics after beating Great Britain's Daniel Bethell in a thrilling men's singles SL3 badminton final here on Monday. The 29-year-old from Haryana was rock solid in his defence and spot on with his shot selections as he beat Tokyo silver medallist Bethell 21-14 18-21 23-21 in an absorbing contest that lasted an hour and 20 minutes. SL3 class players, like Nitesh, compete with more severe lower limb disabilities, requiring them to play on a half-width court. When he was 15, Nitesh had lost his left leg in a train accident in Visakhapatnam in 2009 but he recovered from the trauma and found his calling in para badminton. Nitesh's victory on Monday ensured that India retained the SL3 gold after Pramod Bhagat clinched the title three years ago when para badminton made its debut in Tokyo.

Ukrainian para-shuttler gets surprise visit from her Orphanage teacher

Oksana Kozyna's Paralympic debut was sure to have some unexpected moments, but the surprise she received might beat anything that could have happened on the court. The Ukrainian para badminton player was raised in an orphanage for disabled children in Dnipro, Ukraine, alongside teammate Oleksandr Chyrkov. Before her first singles match in the SL3 classification (standing with lower limb impairment), she met one of her former teachers from the orphanage a reunion that brought back memories of learning the sport while also featuring all the emotions felt by Ukrainians as the war continues back home. I didn't recognize her at first and then, when I recognized her, I just couldn't believe it, Kozyna said of her teacher, Svitlana Shabalina, while meeting with reporters Sunday evening. It's like a dream. Shabalina had left the orphanage years earlier and recently emigrated to Sweden. Kozyna fled Ukraine shortly after Russia attacked in 2022 and now lives with Chyrkov, two other Ukrainian

Paralympics: PM congratulates Nishad Kumar for silver in men's high jump

India has secured a total of seven medals at the ongoing Paris Paralympics, with one gold medal, two silvers, and four bronze medals

Paralympics 2024: Shuttler Nitesh Kumar ensures another medal for India

Indian para-badminton star advances to the men's singles SL3 final, guaranteeing at least a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

Paralympics: Poor water quality of Seine River postpones Triathlon events

Paralympic triathlon competitions in Paris scheduled for Sunday have been postponed because of concerns about water quality in the Seine River after heavy rainfall, organizers said. The 11 para triathlon events are now scheduled for Monday, if upcoming water testing allows, the Paris 2024 organizing committee and World Triathlon said in a joint statement. Rainstorms hit the French capital Friday and Saturday. Heavy rains cause wastewater and runoff to flow into the river, leading to a rise in bacteria levels including E. Coli. This is the second scheduled change for the para triathlon events. They had initially been scheduled to take place over two days, Sunday and Monday, but were moved to Sunday because of rain forecasts. The disruption is another hiccup for the city's efforts to clean up the river for future public swimming, one of Paris' most ambitious promises ahead of hosting the Olympics and Paralympics this summer. The men's individual triathlon event during the Paris Olymp

Paralympics: Para-sprinter Rakshita bows out from women's 1500m T11 race

India's Rakshita Raju bowed out in the opening round of women's 1500m T11 athletics event at the ongoing Paralympics here on Sunday. Rakshita, 23, finished last out of four runners in Heat 3 after clocking a timing of 5:29.92s. The two runners from the three heats qualified for the final. China's Shanshan He topped Rakshita's heat with a timing of 4:44.66s ahead of Louzanne Coetzee of South Africa, who clocked season best timing of 4:45.25s. The T11 category is for athletes with visual impairment, which may be entire loss of vision or he or she may be able to perceive light, but have no ability to see the shape of a hand at any distance. T11 athletes commonly run with guides.

Paralympics: Manisha reaches semifinal, ensures medal; Palak, Mandeep out

India were assured of a second medal in badminton with Manisha Ramadass setting up a women's singles SU5 semifinals duel with compatriot Thulasimathi Murugesan at the Paris Paralympics here on Sunday. The 19-year-old Manisha, who was born with Erb's palsy which affected her right arm, had no trouble in dispatching Japan's Mamiko Toyoda 21- 13 21-16 in the quarterfinals. Erb's palsy is a nerve disorder in the shoulder and arm that results in weakness or loss of muscle function. The second seeded Indian left-hander needed 30 minutes to down her unseeded rival. In the last four, Manisha will meet top seed Thulasimathi, who had defeated Portugal's Beatriz Monteiro in group A on Saturday. In SU5 category, the players have impairment of the upper limbs. The impairment could be on the playing or non-playing hand. On Saturday, Sukant Kadam earned the right to take on compatriot Suhas Yathiraj in SL4 semifinals to assure the country its first medal in badminton from this edition of the ..

Paralympics 2024: Indian para-rowers Narayana, Anita finish eighth overall

Asian Para Games silver medal winning duo of Narayana Konganapalle and Anita returned empty-handed, finishing eighth overall in the PR3 mixed double sculls rowing of the Paris Paralympics here on Sunday. Making their Paralympics debut, the Indians secured a timing of 8:16.96 seconds to finish second in Final B of their repechage event which was meant to determine their standings. Saige Happer and Todd Vogt of the USA topped the Final B race with a timing of 7:48.38s, while Mexico's Miguel Angel Nieto Carpio and Angeles Britani Gutierrez Vieyra came behind the Indians (8:28.23s). They had to compete in the Final B classification race for 7 to 12th spot following a third-place finish on Saturday. The pair had finished the race with a timing of 7:54.33s, behind Ukraine (7:29.24s) and Great Britain (7:20.53s). While guarding the Indian borders in Jammu and Kashmir, the Army sepoy Konganapalle had lost his left leg below the knee after stepping on a landmine in February 2015. Anita ha

Paralympics 2024: Avani, Sidhartha and Devaraddi fail to qualify for final

Indian shooters Avani Lekhara finished 11th while Sidhartha Babu ended 28th and were unable to make the final of the mixed 10m air rifle prone (SH1) event at the Paralympic Games here on Sunday. In the mixed 10m air rifle prone (SH2) qualification, Sriharsha Devaraddi Ramakrishna ended in 26th place with a total score of 630.2. In the Paralympics mixed event, both men and women compete on the line against each other. Coming off her historic gold medal in the 10m air rifle standing SH1 event, Avani could not replicate that form despite a strong start in what is not her pet event, and ended the competition with a total score of 632.8. Sidhartha aggregated 628.3 across six series. Avani's sequence of scores read 105.7, 106.0, 104.1, 106.0, 104.8, 106.2, while Sidhartha had scores of 104.6, 103.8, 105.7, 104.9, 103.6, 105.7. On Friday, Avani, the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic gold medals with her victory in the women's 10m air rifle (SH1) event, had defended her title wit

Paralympics 2024: Ravi Rangoli finishes fifth in F40 shot put finals

India's Ravi Rongali finished a creditable fifth in the men's F40 shot put final while Rakshita Raju bowed out in the opening round heats of women's 1500m T11 race on the third day of athletics competitions at the Paris Paralympics on Sunday. Rongali, who had won a silver in the Asian Para Games last year in China, produced a personal best of 10.63m but that was enough for a fifth-place finish in a top-class field. World record holder Miguel Montero of Portugal won the gold with a throw of 11.21m while Mongolia's Battulga Tsegmid (11.09m) took the bronze. Reigning Asian Para Games champion Garrah Tnaiash of Iraq took the bronze with a throw of 11.03m while Russian Tokyo Paralympics gold medallist and reigning world para athletics champion Denis Gnezdilov, who was competing as Neutral Paralympic Athlete, was fourth with 10.80m. F40 class is for para athletes with short stature. Earlier in the day, Rakshita, 23, finished last out of four runners in Heat 3 after clocking a timing of

Paralympics 2024: Para-shuttlers Palak, Mandeep knocked out of Q/F

Indian shuttlers Mandeep Kaur and Palak Kohli were on Sunday eliminated from the Paris Paralympics following contrasting defeats in their respective women's singles quarterfinals at La Chapelle Arena here. Competing in SL3 category, Mandeep hardly posed a challenge to Nigeria's third seed Bolaji Mariam Eniola, losing the contest 8-21 9-21 in 23 minutes. It was the second consecutive defeat for Mandeep against Eniola, having lost to the Nigerian in the Group stage as well. SL3 category is for players with severe lower-limb disability competing on a half-width court. In SL4 category, para world championship bronze medallist Palak went down fighting 19-21 15-21 to Indonesia's Khalimatus Sadiyah in 28 minutes. SL4 is a class for athletes competing standing with less severe impairment than in SL3. Later in the day, Manisha Ramdass will compete in women's singles quarterfinal in SU5 category while Nithya Sivan Sumathy will compete in the last-eight stage in SH6 category. Manisha is up

Paralympics 2024: Rubina Francis wins bronze in women's 10m air pistol SH1

Rubina's bronze takes India's overall medal tally to five, including one gold, one silver, and three bronze medals

Paralympics 2024: Para-shooter Rubina Francis enters 10m air pistol final

Indian shooter Rubina Francis showed tremendous determination to qualify in seventh place for the women's 10m air pistol (SH1) final, even as 10m air rifle (SH1) marksman Swaroop Unhalkar was unable to make an impact at the Paralympic Games here on Saturday. Rubina, 25, trailed the top-eight shooters for most part of the qualification round but picked up speed at the fag end to sneak into the medal round. The shooter from Madhya Pradesh had also finished seventh in the qualifying round at the Tokyo Paralympics three years back before ending up seventh in the final as well. Rubina, who was placed 14th after the first series of 10 shots in the qualifying, gradually moved up and clinched a sport in the eight-shooter final with a score of 556. Rubina had secured the Paralympics quota under the bipartite (wildcard) rule a few days before the contingent's departure for Paris. In the men's 10m air rifle standing (SH1) event, Swaroop, the 38-year-old marksman competing in his second ...

Paralympics: Indian rowers enter Final B after finishing 3rd in repechage

Indian rowers Anita and Narayana Konganapalle managed a third-place finish in the mixed PR3 double sculls event at the Paris Paralympics here on Saturday. The pair finished the race with a timing of 7:54.33s, behind Ukraine (7:29.24s) and Great Britain (7:20.53s). The Indian duo will now be competing in Final B, which is for 7 to 12th spot. During the heat on Friday, the Indian pair had finished fifth with a timing of 8:06.84s. Anita lost her leg in a road accident when she was 18-years-old. She won the gold medal in the World Rowing Asian and Oceanian Paralympic Qualifiers earlier this year. Konganapalle, an ex-soldier with Rashtriya Rifles, lost his leg in a mine blast while on duty in Jammu and Kashmir in 2015. His accolades include gold medals in World Rowing Asian and Oceanian Paralympic Qualifiers and Asian Rowing Virtual Indoor Championship. The PR3 category is for para-athletes with residual leg function, allowing them to slide the seat.