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India's Paralympic contingent, the largest in its history, is poised to make a significant impact at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. With an 84-strong team, India aims to surpass its record-breaking performance in Tokyo, where it won 19 medals, including five gold.The contingent boasts a mix of experienced veterans and promising young athletes. The target is to secure over 25 medals, with a double-digit haul in gold. This ambition is fueled by the team's exceptional performances in the past year, including a record 111 medals at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games.The schedule for India's athletes is packed with events across various disciplines. On August 29, Aruna Tanwar will compete in Taekwondo, while Jyoti Gaderia will participate in Cycling. Badminton group stages and Archery ranking rounds will also take place.August 30 will see Avani Lekhara and Mona Agarwal in Shooting, while Manish Narwal and Rudransh Khandelwal will compete in Shooting. Athletics events include discus throw for Sakshi Kasana and Karam Jyoti, and shot put for Manu.On August 31, Mahavir Unhalkar will compete in Shooting, while Jyoti Gaderia and Arshad Shaikh will participate in Cycling. Table tennis will feature Bhavinaben Patel and Sonalben Patel in Women's doubles. Athletics events include javelin throw for Parveen Kumar and high jump for Nishad Kumar and Ram Pal.September 1 will see Avani Lekhara and Sidhartha Babu in Shooting, while Sriharsha Ramakrishna will compete in Archery. Athletics events include shot put for Ravi Rangoli and 200m for Preethi Pal. Badminton group stages and semifinals will also take place.September 2 will feature the finals of several Badminton events, including SL3, SL4, SH6, and SU5. Athletics events include discus throw for Yogesh Kathuniya and 1500m for Rakshita Raju. Archery will see Rakesh Kumar and Shyam Swami in compound open.September 3 will see Pooja in Archery, Avani Lekhara and Mona Agarwal in Shooting, and Bhagyashri Jadhav in Athletics. Archery will also feature Rakesh Kumar, Sheetal Devi, and Shyam Swami in compound open mixed team.September 4 will see Arshad Shaikh and Jyoti Gaderia in Cycling, Harvinder Singh in Archery, and Nihal Singh and Rudransh Khandelwal in Shooting. Athletics events include shot put for Sachin Sarjerao Khilari, Mohd Yasser, and Rohit Kumar.September 5 will feature Mona Agarwal and Sidhartha Babu in Shooting, Harvinder Singh and Pooja in Archery, and Kokila and Kapil Parmar in Judo. Athletics events include shot put for Arvind.September 6 will see Sonalben Patel in Table Tennis, Dipesh Kumar in Athletics, and Kasthuri Rajamani in Powerlifting. Athletics events also include high jump for Praveen Kumar and shot put for Soman Rana and Hokato Sema.September 7 will feature Jyoti Gaderia and Arshad Shaikh in Cycling, Suyash Jadhav in Swimming, and Bhavinaben Patel in Table Tennis. Athletics events include javelin throw for Navdeep and 200m for Simran.September 8 will see Pooja Ojha in Canoe, while the closing ceremony will take place on September 9.

The Indian contingent for the upcoming Paris Paralympics, scheduled from August 28 to September 8, will comprise 84 athletes and 95 officials, totaling 179 members. This marks a significant increase from the 54-member contingent that represented India at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.The large number of officials accompanying the athletes is attributed to the special needs of para athletes. Many participants will have personal coaches and escorts to assist them with their specific requirements. The contingent includes 77 team officials, nine contingent medical officials, and nine contingent officials.India is sending its largest-ever contingent to the Paralympics, with athletes competing in 12 sports. The para-athletics team is the largest, with 38 competitors, followed by the para-badminton team with 14 members. Other sports represented include para-swimming, para-shooting, para-powerlifting, para-table tennis, para-archery, para-canoeing, para-cycling, para-equestrian, para-rowing, and para-taekwondo.Notable athletes in the contingent include javelin thrower Sumit Antil and shooter Avani Lekhara, both of whom won gold medals at the Tokyo Paralympics. They will be accompanied by personal coaches to support their efforts to defend their titles.The participation of the entire contingent, except for the Chef de Mission and one team manager for para badminton, will be funded by the government. All members will receive a daily out-of-pocket allowance of USD 50 during the Games, including acclimatization and training periods.Paralympic Committee of India president Devendra Jhajharia, who is leading the contingent, will stay outside the Games Village to provide support to athletes competing outside Paris. He has expressed optimism that India will surpass its medal tally of 19 from the Tokyo Paralympics, aiming for over 25 medals, including double-digit gold.

The Ministry of Sports' Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) has extended support to athletes and para-athletes in their preparations for the upcoming Paris Olympics and Paralympic Games. During its weekly meeting, the MOC approved several proposals for equipment assistance.Paralympic table tennis medalist Bhavina Patel received approval for assistance to participate in the ITTF Para Table Tennis Asia Training Camp 2024 in Thailand from July 16 to 20, along with her coach and escort. Para shooters Manish Narwal, Rudranksh Khandelwal, Rubina Francis, and Sriharsha R Devareddy also received approval for various sport shooting equipment, including an air rifle for Sriharsha and a Morini pistol for Rubina.Para-athlete Sandeep Choudhary will receive assistance for the procurement of two javelins. Archers Ankita Bhakat, Deepika Kumari, and para-archers Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar will receive financial assistance for equipment procurement.Judoka Tulika Maan and her coach will train at the Valencia Judo High Performance Centre in Spain until July 25. Table tennis player Manush Shah will receive financial assistance for training in South Korea and for the procurement of physical fitness equipment.The MOC also approved the inclusion of athletes Suraj Panwar, Vikash Singh, Ankita Dhyani, and swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu in the TOPS Core group. Athletes Jeswin Aldrin, Praveen Chithravel, Akashdeep Singh, and Paramjeet Singh were promoted from TOPS Development to Core Group.These approvals demonstrate the government's commitment to supporting athletes and para-athletes in their pursuit of excellence. The MOC's assistance will enable them to access the necessary equipment and training facilities to enhance their performance and achieve their Olympic and Paralympic dreams.