"Your contribution is more than medals": PM Modi lauds Paralympics contingent

New Delhi [India], September 13 : Meeting with the country's proud, history-making Paris Paralympics contingent, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the contribution of India's para-athletes is more than medals, it is helping in producing self-belief among specially abled people that they are no less than others.
PM Modi was speaking to para-athletes following their historic Paris Paralympics campaign at his residence 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in the national capital on Thursday.
Speaking to athletes during the interaction, PM Modi said, "You embraced what the country was feeling and delivered fine performances. God has given you some extra qualities. Though you might have some disabilities physically, there is something extra present in your personality. You have faced so many struggles and obstacles in your life that the effect of win and loss was not present in your game."
PM Modi said that he wants players to play more in Para-sports and get more medals and through them, create a cultural change in perception of specially-abled athletes.
"I want that all specially abled people are looked to with respect rather than sympathy and are considered no less than others. The fact that you are playing and sweating it out for your girl, this hard work would not go in vain. A new atmosphere is being made. Your contribution is more than a medal, you are producing belief in specially abled people that they are no less," he added.
He also said that before teaching the para-athletes, the coaches should mentally prepare themselves for that life and look at things from the perspective of these athletes.
PM Modi said, "Before teaching the specially-abled, the coaches need to mentally prepare themselves to live that life. They need to keep themselves in the position of the para-athletes and understand their problems. Those who train para-athletes are extraordinary. The abled only need to be taught techniques, but the specially-abled need to be taught a way of life as well."
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Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse, and Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) president Devendra Jhajharia were also present during the meeting.
PM Modi interacted with the Paralympians who represented India in the recently concluded para multi-sport event.
During the meet, Paralympic gold medallist Avani Lekhara gifted PM Modi a signed Indian jersey.
The Indian contingent concluded its Paralympics campaign in Paris on Sunday with a record haul of 29 medals, including seven golds, nine silvers, and 13 bronzes.
The 29-medal tally is the most by India in the history of the Paralympics. Following the conclusion of the landmark campaign, India surpassed its record medal tally of 19, which was achieved at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. India ended the marquee event in the 18th position.
India rewrote several records and unlocked some new "firsts" at the Paralympic Games. Para-shooter Avani Lekhara became the first ever Indian woman to secure two Paralympic gold medals as she managed to defend her women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 shooting title with a world record score of 249.7 points.
India recorded a one-two finish at a para-athletics competition for the first time, with Dharambir and Parnav Soorma clinching gold and silver, respectively, in the men's club throw F51 event. This was among India's first-ever medals in this sport. Dharambir also set an Asian record of 34.92 m.
In the T64 high jump event, Praveen Kumar stood at the top of the podium with an Asian record-breaking jump of 2.08 m, landing India their sixth gold. India finished the competition with seven gold medals.
India also found its first-ever archery champion across the Olympics and Paralympics, with Harvinder Singh getting the gold in the individual recurve para-archery against Poland's Lukasz Ciszek.
Indian javelin throw ace Sumit Antil became the first Indian male to defend their Paralympics title, making it back-to-back gold in the F64 event with a stunning Paralympic record-breaking throw of 70.59 m. He broke his own previous record set during the Tokyo 2020 not once, but thrice.