India's Chef de Mission Satya Prakash Sangwan revealed team India's final preparations for the Paris Paralympics 2024 on Thursday. SP Sangwan is leading India's largest-ever contingent of 84 athletes at the 17th Paralympics Summer Games starting on August 28 and predicted a record campaign in an exclusive interview with India TV.
SP Sangwan, the vice president of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), arrived in Paris on Sunday and revealed the jubilant mood of the Indian contingent that features 52 male and 32 female para athletes. After India's stunning performance in the Tokyo Paralympics 2020, the fans are expecting more in the Paris Games and Sangwan agrees with them.
India claimed a record 19 medals, including five golds, in Tokyo and finished 24th in the medal standings. When asked about India's medal hopes, Sangwan revealed that India is hopeful of a record-breaking performance and added that he is confident of walking away with 28 medals for sure.
"We won four in the 2016 Rio Games and 19 medals in Tokyo but now we are looking at a record 25-plus medals in Paris," Satya Prakash Sangwan told India TV. "My gut feeling is saying 28 medals for India. We are not only hoping but we are confident of a record 28 medals, including eight to ten golds, in Paris.
"We are hoping to make everyone proud by finishing inside T20 (top twenty teams in medal table) in this Paralympics. India will definitely finish in the T20 and we will continue to work to finish in the top ten in the medal table."
India's 24th finish in the medal standings in Tokyo was an extraordinary feat considering it had never won more than five medals in a single edition of the previous Paralympic Games. SP Sangwan confidently added that India will target a top-ten finish in Paris but realistically hoping for a T20 finish.
Sangwan also revealed India's preparations and how athletes are utilising personal coaches ahead of the Paris Games. He added that the PCI has provided accommodations to personal coaches in Paris and they are leaving no stone unturned in preparations.
