Indian Para-Athletes Miss Podium Finishes in Tokyo
India’s Paralympic campaign in Tokyo ended on a bittersweet note as para-athletes Simran Sharma and Ashok narrowly missed out on podium finishes.
Simran Sharma, who had stormed into the women’s 100m T12 final, finished last among the four finalists with a timing of 12.31s. Cuba’s Omara Durand Elias, the world record-holder, claimed gold with a time of 11.81s, followed by Ukraine’s Oksana Boturchuk (12.17s) and Germany’s Katrin Mueller-Rottgardt (12.26s).
Powerlifter Ashok, competing in the men’s 65kg final, finished sixth with a best lift of 199kg. He had successfully lifted 196kg in his first attempt and 199kg in his second, but failed to lift 206kg in his third and final attempt. China’s Yi Zou won gold with a lift of 215kg, while Great Britain’s Mark Swan took silver with 213kg and Algeria’s Hocine Bettir claimed bronze with 209kg.
Despite the disappointing results for Simran and Ashok, India’s para-archery team made history by winning two medals at the Paralympics for the first time. Harvinder Singh won India’s first-ever gold medal in para archery with a straight-set victory over Poland’s Lukasz Ciszek in the men’s individual recurve open final. The Indian para archery team also won a bronze medal in the mixed team recurve open event.
India’s overall performance at the Tokyo Paralympics was a testament to the growing strength and determination of its para-athletes. The country’s record-breaking medal tally of 19 medals, including five golds, eight silvers, and six bronzes, is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of these exceptional individuals.
