54 Indian athletes will be competing at Tokyo Paralympics 2020 from 25th August to 6th September 2021 across nine sports – archery, athletics, badminton, shooting, table tennis, para canoeing, swimming, powerlifting and taekwondo, as compared to 19 athletes in Rio Olympics 2016. In the Rio Olympics, Indian athletes won two golds, one silver and one bronze.
DD Sports will broadcast the live coverage of Paralympics Tokyo 2020 on all cable and DTH platforms. It will also be telecasted on EUROSPORT and EUROSPORT HD.
Today, we look at the Indian women athletes competing in the games and keeping India’s medal hopes high.
Archery
Jyoti Balan is the only female archer at Tokyo Paralympics and India’s biggest medal prospect. She hails from Muzaffarnagar and has been practicing archery since 12 years.
27 August, Women’s Compound Individual Open: Jyoti Baliyan
27 August, Compound Mixed Team Open: Jyoti Baliyan & TBC
Badminton
Palak Kohli is an Indian professional Para-badminton player from Jalandhar. She won a silver medal in the World para-badminton competition in Dubai. She is the only para badminton athlete from the country to qualify for both singles and women’s doubles for Tokyo Paralympics 2021.
1 September, Women’s Singles SU5: Palak Kohli
1 September, Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5: Pramod Bhagat & Palak Kohli
Parul Dalsukhbhai Parmar is an Indian para-badminton player from Gujarat. She had been ranked world number one in para-badminton women’s singles SL3. She won the golds in women’s singles and doubles at the 2017 BWF Para-Badminton World Championships. Parmar was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2009 by the Government of India and Eklavya Award by the Government of Gujarat.
2 September, Women’s Singles SL4: Parul Parmar
2 September, Women’s Doubles SL3-SU5: Parul Parmar & Palak Kohli
Para Canoeing
Gwalior’s Prachi Yadav becomes the first Indian paracanoe athlete to qualify for Tokyo Paralympics 2020. Prachi was a former champion para-swimmer for India, but switched to para canoe after her coach suggested because she had a better chance of getting to Paralympics.
2 September, Women’s VL2: Prachi Yadav
Powerlifting
Sakina Khatun, who hails from Bangalore, is an Indian powerlifter who won bronze medal in Weightlifting at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. She was selected for Commonwealth Games in 2014 and finished 3rd in the women’s lightlifting category (up to 61 kg) after lifting a total weight of 88.2 kg.
27 August, Women’s 50kg: Sakina Khatun
Table Tennis
Bhavina Hasmukhbhai Patel is a Para table tennis player from Mehsana, Gujarat and uses a wheelchair. She won the Silver Medal for India in The Individual Category at the PTT Thailand Table Tennis Championship held in 2011. In October 2013, she won the silver medal in the women’s singles Class 4 at the Asian Para table tennis championships in Beijing. She also won the bronze medal in International Table Tennis Federation Asian Para Table Tennis Championship in Beijing, China.
25 August, Individual C3: Sonalben Madhubhai Patel
25 August, Individual C4: Bhavina Hasmukhbhai Patel
Taekwondo
Aruna Tanwar is an Indian Para Taekwondo athlete. She is currently World Rank 4th in the W-49 kg | K43 | and World Rank 30th in the W-49 kg | K44 event category of World Para Taekwondo Events. She became the first Indian Taekwondo athlete to qualify for the Tokyo Paralympics Olympic Games on the allocation of a bi-partite invitation spots, where Taekwondo Paralympic event will be featured for the first time
2 September, Women’s K44, 49kg: Aruna Tanwar
Shooting
Avani Lekhara, who hails from Jaipur, is an Indian Para Rifle Shooter. She is currently World No 5 in Women’s 10m Air Rifle standing SH1 (World Shooting Para Sport Rankings) and she also participated in the 2018 Asian Para Games R2 – Women’s 10M Air Rifle Standing, R3 – Mixed 10M Air Rifle Prone, R6 – Mixed 50M Rifle Prone and R8 – Women’s 50M Rifle 3 Position (SH1 Events).
30 August, Women’s R2 – 10 m air rifle SH1: Avani Lekhara
Also read: Eyes On The Target: Avani Lekhara, India’s Para Shooter At The Tokyo Paralympics 2020
Rubina Francis, who hails from Jabalpur, is an Indian para pistol shooter. She is currently ranked number five by the International Shooting Sport Federation in Women’s 10m Air Pistol SH1 (World Shooting Para Sport Rankings) and she also participated in the 2018 Asian Para GamesP2 – Women’s 10M Air Pistol (SH1 Events).
31 August, Women’s P2 – 10 m air pistol SH1: Rubina Francis
4 September, Mixed R3 – 10 m air rifle prone SH1: Deepak Saini, Sidhartha Babu & Avani Lekhara
3 September, Women’s R8 – 50 m rifle 3 positions SH1: Avani Lekhara
5 September, Mixed R6 – 50 m rifle prone SH1: Deepak Saini, Avani Lekhara & Sidhartha Babu
Athletics
31 August, Women’s 100m T13: Simran
31 August, Women’s Shot Put F34: Bhagyashri Madavrao Jadhav
3 September, Women’s Club Throw F51: Ekta Bhyan, Kashish Lakra
Featured Image Source: Times of India
