After a stellar performance in the Tokyo Paralympics in which it clinched two gold, one silver, and one bronze medal, the Indian Para-Shooting team has departed for the next edition of the Paralympic Games in Paris with high hopes of surpassing their previous achievements. The team, comprising 10 athletes, will compete to better their Tokyo haul of four medals. The spotlight will be on reigning Paralympic gold medallists, Avani Lekhara and Manish Narwal, who are determined to replicate their gold-medal-winning performances in Paris. The athletes representing India at the Paris Paralympics 2024 in shooting include Manish Narwal, Amir Ahmad Bhat, Rudransh Khandelwal, Avani Lekhara, Mona Agarwal, Rubina Francis, Swaroop Mahavir Unhalkar, Sidhartha Babu, Shriharsha Devaraddi and Nihal Singh. The shooting events will commence on August 30 at the renowned Châteauroux Shooting Centre.
The shooters have been training rigorously and are confident of making the nation proud once again on the global stage. Speaking on behalf of the team, Manish Narwal expressed his excitement, saying, “Our preparations have been intense, and we are eager to give our best shot in Paris. We aim to surpass our previous performance and bring more medals home.” The Paralympic Committee is expecting a record-breaking 25-plus medals at the Paris Paralympics and the performance of the shooting team will have a great impact on the overall medal tally. Besides the athletes, the shooters will have to contribute many medals if India realises PCI’s dream of claiming a rich medal haul in Paris. The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) has extended its best wishes to the entire team and is confident that they will continue to inspire the nation with their remarkable achievements.