India at Tokyo Paralympics: Avani Lekhara's gold to Bhavina Patel's silver, a look at medal winners

Table tennis player Bhavinaben Patel opened India's medal tally at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020 as she won a silver medal in women's table tennis (Class 4) on Sunday (August 29) after losing 0-3 to world number one Chinese paddler Ying Zhou in the gold-medal match. 

The 34-year-old Patel's impressive run in her maiden Paralympic Games ended with a 7-11, 5-11, 6-11 loss to Zhou, a two-time gold medallist, in the women's singles summit clash which lasted 19 minutes. 

Nishad Kumar won a silver medal in the high jump event at the ongoing Tokyo Paralympics at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday (August 29).

Nishad made a jump of 2.06m and as a result, he sealed the silver medal.

In the event, Nishad also went on to create an Asian Record and the event turned out to be a good affair for the Indian para-athlete.

Discus thrower Yogesh Kathuniya on Monday (August 30) clinched silver after registering his season-best attempt of 44.38 in the men's F56 final at the Tokyo Paralympics.

Yogesh threw 44.38 in his sixth and final attempt to take up the top spot before Claudiney Batista of Brazil fired 44.57 in his first attempt to dethrone the Indian athlete.

Yogesh got off to a poor start as his first throw was deemed as foul but the Indian para-athlete soon made up for it as he registered a massive 42.84 in his second attempt.

Javelin thrower Sundar Singh Gurjar won bronze in the men's Standing Javelin (F46) at National Stadium in Tokyo on Monday (August 30).  

Gurjar, a two-time world champion, said, "I am extremely elated to win a medal in the Tokyo Paralympics. In Rio 2016, I was disqualified but now I have won Bronze."

The 25-year-old, who lost his left hand in 2015 after a metal sheet fell on him at his friend's house, was third with a best effort of 64.01m.

The Jaipur-based athlete had won gold in the 2017 and 2019 World Para Athletics Championships.

Sundar Singh went first among the Indian trio in the final as he started with a season-best of 62.58.

He was shown a red flag in his 3rd and 4th attempts, after which he landed a 64.01 for his season-best in the 5th throw to land himself in a medal position.

Javelin star Devendra Jhajharia won silver in the men's Standing Javelin (F46) at National Stadium in Tokyo on Monday (August 30).

This was Devendra's third medal at Paralympic Games as the 40-year-old had emerged as a Paralympic champion, first in Athens 2004 and then in Rio 2016. 

Jhajahria, who lost his left hand after accidentally touching an electric wire while climbing a tree at the age of eight, bettered his own earlier world record (63.97). 

Shooter Avani Lekhara created history by winning the gold medal at Asaka Shooting Range in the women's R2 — 10m Air Rifle standing SH1 event on Monday (August 30).

The 19-year-old entered the history books after becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in shooting at an Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Appearing in her maiden Paralympics, Lekhara took gold after scoring 249.6, whilst also equalling the world record (EWR) and breaking the Paralympic record. 

She was very close to breaking the world record but two 9.9s towards the end cost her the mark. 

China's Cuiping Zhang grabbed silver by scoring 248.9 points while Ukraine's Iryna Shchetnik won bronze.

Sumit Antil won a gold medal in the men's javelin throw (F64) final event on Monday (August 30), with a world record throw of 68.55m. 

Sumit started off with a throw of 66.95m in his first attempt and created a world record, then again he threw another record of 68.08m in his second attempt and broke the one he created moments ago. 

He went on to create another world record and held the top spot with his best throw of 68.55 in his fifth attempt. 

India's Singhraj Adhana won bronze in the men's 10m air pistol SH1 final at the Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020 on Tuesday (August 31).  

Singhraj clinched the medal with 216.8 points. 

This was second shooting medal for India at the ongoing Paralympic Games after Avani Lekhara's historic gold in rifle shooting. 

Adhana dropped out of contention with his poor 19th shot but managed to get back in the reckoning with his 20th attempt as China's Xiaolong Lou got 8.6.

China dominated the finals with defending champion Chao Yang (237.9 — Paralympic record) and Huang Xing (237.5) winning the gold and silver medals respectively. 

Mariyappan Thangavelu won the silver medal in the men's high jump T42/T63 class at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics on Tuesday (August 31).

Mariyappan successfully cleared 1.86m to clinch the coveted award. 

Sharad Kumar won the bronze medal in the T42 class of the men’s high jump after clearing 1.83m.

Kumar swiftly cleared the 1.73m, 1.77m, 1.80m and 1.83m marks but then he faltered at the 1.86m, failing to clear with any of his three attempts at that mark and setlled with bronze. 

Indian archer Harvinder Singh scripted history as he bagged a bronze medal at the ongoing Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020 on Friday (September 3) in the men's individual recurve. 

This is a historic feat as Harvinder registered India's first-ever podium finish in archery at the Para Games. 

Praveen Kumar, who won a silver medal in the men's high jump T64 event at the Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020 on Friday (September 3), thanked his coach Dr Satyapal Singh for constantly supporting and motivating him. 

Praveen successfully cleared 2.07m in the final, which is his personal best and new Asian record, to clinch the coveted award. World champion Jonathan Broom-Edwards of Great Britain cleared 2.10m to take the gold medal. 

Indian shuttler Pramod Bhagat won a gold medal in badminton men's singles SL3 at the Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020 on Saturday (September 4). 

Pramod defeated Daniel Bethell of Great Britain to create history as he won the first-ever gold for India in the first-ever edition of para-badminton at the Paralympic Games. 

The top-seeded Indian showed great mental fortitude as he prevailed 21-14, 21-17 over second-seeded Bethell in a thrilling final that lasted 45 minutes at the Yoyogi National Stadium.

Previously, the 33-year-old Bhagat, who is also the world no 1 and current Asian champion, secured a 21-11, 21-16 win over Japan's Daisuke Fujihara in the first SL3 class semifinals that lasted 36 minutes. 

The entire nation is celebrating after shooter Manish Narwal clinched India's third gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020 on Saturday (September 4). So far, India has won 15 medals and is placed 34th on the medal's tally. 

In the men's 50m pistol SH1 event, Narwal scored 218.2 — a new Paralympic record — to claim the top podium spot. 

In the same event, his compatriot Singhraj Adhana bagged the silver medal with a score of 216.7, doubling the joy for all the fans who are ecstatic after India's outstanding performance at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. 

From India's President to Prime Minister, both the shooters earned praises for their exemplary show; the sporting fraternity termed the feat as "stuff of dreams". 

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind congratulated Narwal as he tweeted, "Young Manish Narwal has done India proud by winning a shooting gold medal and making the tricolor fly high at the #Paralympics! You've shown immense talent and dedication at a very young age."

"Singhraj Adana wins a silver medal and adds to his bronze winning performance in Tokyo #Paralympics. Congratulations for your exceptional performances," the President hailed Adana for his second medal as he had already won a bronze in the P1 men's 10m air pistol SH1 event. 

India shuttler Manoj Sarkar won a bronze medal after defeating Japan's Daisuke Fujihara 22-20, 21-13 in the men's singles SL3 event on Saturday at the ongoing Tokyo Paralympics. 

The 31-year-old Indian shuttler dug deep in the opening game before cruising through the second to clinch the medal in a match that lasted for over 47 minutes at the Yoyogi National Stadium Court 3. 

India's ace para-shuttler Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj scripted history as he became the first-ever IAS officer to win a medal at the Paralympics. The 38-year-old clinched a silver medal in the final of the men's singles badminton SL4 event at the ongoing Tokyo Games after losing to Lucas Mazur of France on Sunday. 

With a silver, India extend their medal tally to 18 at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020. Yathiraj lost to the French para-shuttler 21-15, 17-21, 15-21. 

The India para-athlete started off very strong in the first game-winning it by 21-15. However, Muraz staged a sensational comeback to clinch a gold medal in the final of the men's singles badminton SL4 event.

Para-shuttler Krishna Nagar clinched a gold medal for India on the closing day of the Tokyo Paralympics 2020. The 22-year-old won the gold in the men's singles SH6 category on Sunday. 

This is India's fifth gold medal in the coveted tournament ad now has taken their medal tally to 19. It is also the country's 2nd gold medal in badminton at the Paralympics. 

The fifth gold medal is India's new best going past their previous-best tally of 4 medals. Nagar defeated Hong Kong's Chu Man Kai in an intense clash that ended in 21-17, 16-21, 21-17.