Grand welcome awaits Indian para athletes after record breaking campaign in Paris
Sep 07, 2024
New Delhi [India], September 7 : The excitement is high ahead of the arrival of the Indian para athletes who participated at the Paris Paralympics.
Family members of the para-athletes who are about to return from Paris have prepared a grand welcome for them. Dhols are also being played to welcome the para athletes, who registered India's best ever performance at the event.
Paralympic silver medallist Manish Narwal's mother, Santosh Narwal, thanked everyone on Saturday for supporting her son during his campaign in the ongoing Paris Paralympics.
"I thank everyone for supporting (him). He won the silver medal for the nation. I am feeling very happy and proud," Santosh said.
Manish Narwal's father Dilbagh Narwal said that the entire nation has supported the Indian para-shooter.
"I am feeling very proud that my son has won the silver medal for the nation...The entire nation supported him a lot," Dilbagh said.
Manish Narwal won the silver medal after securing 234.9 points in the men's 10m air pistol SH1 pistol. He started the match on a good note but in the middle, the Indian shooter dropped to the sixth. But he didn't lose hope and ended the final in the second spot.
Meanwhile, Sheetal Devi's coach Kuldeep hailed the para-archer and said that she has brought glory to the country at every platform. Her coach added that Sheetal Devi has written history after winning India's first medal in compound archery at the Paralympics.
"Sheetal has brought glory to the country at every platform...She has scripted history by winning the first medal for India in Compound Archery at the Paralympics...Harvinder Singh also made history by winning a gold medal for the nation...We all have arrived to welcome the players...," Rakesh said.
The Indian archery pair of Rakesh Kumar and Sheetal Devi clinched the bronze medal in the Mixed Team Compound event with a win over Eleonora Sarti and Matteo Bonnacina of Italy at the ongoing Paris Paralympics.
They defeated the Italian pair with a scoreline of 156-155 in the bronze medal match of the ongoing marquee event on Monday. With this win, they bagged a bronze medal for their country.
Indian parashooter Mona Agarwal's mother, Kiran, also expressed her excitement and said the entire nation is proud of her.
"I am feeling very happy that she made the entire nation proud...She worked very hard to win a medal for the nation," Kiran said.
Shooter Mona Agarwal bagged the bronze medal in the women's 10m air rifle final at the ongoing Paris Paralympics on Friday. Mona secured third place with a total of 228.7.
India's medal tally in the ongoing Paralympics has gone up to 27, with six gold medals, nine silver medals, and 12 bronze medals. This is the most gold India has ever won at a Paralympics Games event, outdoing the total of five golds in Tokyo 2020.
Indian para-athletes in particular have made the country proud with three golds, six silvers, and six bronze medals, giving them a total of 15 medals.