Outstanding, Incredible, Marvellous!!!!!

5th September 2021, Tokyo concluded the Paralympics on Sunday, and mind you, this was the most successful outing for team India. For the first time, India had 54 participants in all disciplines, the highest number to date.

Indians have been regular at the Paralympic games since 1984, and India had achieved only 12 medals before the start of the Tokyo games. Winning 4 Gold, 4 Silver & 4 Bronze medals.

A brief history of the Paralympics

The first Paralympic Games took place in Rome, Italy in 1960 that featured 500 athletes from 23 nations. These games were called Stoke Mandeville Games which were held every year. The International Stoke Mandeville Games were organized for the vision impaired, amputees, people with cerebral palsy, and paraplegics.

In 1960, at the Rome Paralympic Games, an International Working Group on sport for the disabled was set up under the assistance from the World Federation of ex-servicemen to study sports-related problems in people with impairment. The result of this study was the creation of the International Sports Organisation for the Disabled (ISOD) in 1964. ISOD offered opportunities for athletes who could not affiliate with the International Stoke Mandeville Games. And made them a quadrennial event.

The participants in these games increased over the period, and the participating nations too demanded ISOD’s national and regional representation, which were difficult to manage. Finally, in 1989 the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement founded the International Paralympic Committee in Dusseldorf, Germany.

The word Paralympics is derived from the Greek word “para” (alongside or parallel) and the other word Olympics. Meaning games that are held parallel to the Olympic games.

India at Tokyo 2021, Paralympic Games

India’s highest participation before Tokyo was 19 athletes sent to the Rio Games in 2016. At the Rio games, India equaled its previous best by winning 4 medals (in 1984 India had won 4). India nearly doubles the total medal tally at the Tokyo games.

Before Tokyo 2021

When the world is undergoing turmoil, these fine individuals with special capabilities have shown everyone that focussing on your abilities will always lead to success in life. They have richly rewarded the nation with their unrelenting efforts.