The Paralympic Games are right at the door as the top athletes from around the world flock to Paris for the quadrennial Games. After the completion of the Olympics 2024, the action in Paris is the French capital will host the Paralympics from August 28 to September 8.
India has sent its largest-ever contingent for the Paralympics with 84 para athletes vying for glory in the French capital. Those athletes will be participating in 12 sports, out of which three sporting disciplines will be new.
Last time, India sent 54 athletes and bagged 19 medals, the nation's best-ever medal haul at the Paralympics. The athletes brought home 5 gold, 8 silver and 6 bronze medals. Out of those five gold medalists, four athletes - Sumit Antil (para athletics), Avani Lekhara (para shooting), Krishna Nagar (para-badminton) and Manish Narwal (para shooting) - will be looking to defend their crowns in Paris this time around.
Ahead of the Games, here are all the important dates and athletes you need to keep an eye on. All event timings are in IST.
Indian athletes in action on August 29, Thursday
Indian badminton players will be in action across different events starting from 12:00 PM IST
Aruna will be in action in K44 - 47kg (W) in Taekwondo. The event will start at 1:30 PM IST
Jyoti Gaderia in C-1 3000m pursuit (W) will participate in the qualifications of the cycling event at 4:25 PM. The medal matches are also scheduled for the same date.
Sarita, Sheetal Devi, Harvinder Singh, Rakesh Kumar and Shyam Swami will be in action in archery
Indian athletes in action on August 30, Friday
Avani Lekhara and Mona Agarwal will open their campaign in the R2 10m rifle shooting event. Qualifications will take place at 12:30 PM
Manish Narwal and Rudransh Khandelwal in action in P1 - 10m pistol SH1. Qualifications to take place on 2:45 PM
Sriharsha Ramakrishna in R4 mixed 10m air rifle standing at 5:00 PM IST
Sakshi Kasana and Karam Jyoti look to bag a medal in the discus F55 final. The final is at 1:30 PM IST
Manu look for a medal in shot put F37 final. The event is at 12:20 AM.
Arshad Shaikh in action in C-2 3000m pursuit in cycling.
Indian badminton players in action in group stages
Sarita and Sheetal Devi, Rakesh Kumar and Shyam Swami in archery knockout rounds
Anita and Narayana K in PR 3 mixed doubles sculls in rowing
Indian athletes in action on August 31, Saturday
Shooter Mahavir Unhalkar in action in 10m rifle standing SH1. Qualification at 1:00 PM
Arshad Shaikh C1-3 1000m time trials in cycling. Qualifications at 1:49 PM, final later in the day
Table tennis stars Bhavinaben Patel and Sonalben Patel in Women's doubles WD10. Semifinals at 1:30 PM, final later in the day
Shooter Rubina Francis in P2 10m pistol SH1. Qualification at 3:30 PM, final later in the day
Archers Sheetal Devi, and Sarita in action in the compound open. Pre-quarterfinal to start at 7:00 PM, medal events later in the day
Javelin thrower Parveen Kumar in the F57 final at 10:30 PM
Badminton stars will have a busy time with Nitesh Kumar, Sivarajan Solaimalai, Suhas Yathiraj, Palak Kohli, Thulasimathi Murugesan, Nithya Sre Sivan in action in the SL3-SU6 semifinals at 7:30 PM
Group stage and select quarterfinals in badminton lined up too
Anita and Narayana K to take part in rowing at 2:40 PM
Indian athletes in action on September 1, Sunday
Shooters Avani Lekhara and Sidhartha Babu to participate in R3 - Mixed 10m rifle prone SH1. Qualifications at 1 PM, final later in the day. Shooter Sriharsha Ramakrishna in R5 - Mixed 10m rifle prone SH2.
Ravi Rangoli look for a medal in the Shot put F40 final at 3:09 PM
Archers Rakesh Kumar and Shyam Swami in the compound open. Pre-quarters and medal events on the same day
Nishad Kumar and Ram Pal to participate in the high jump F47 final at 10:58 PM
Preethi Pal in action in 200m T35 final in athletics. The event is to take place at 11:08 PM.
Plenty of medal badminton action. Manoj Sarkar, Nitesh Kumar in SL3, Manasi Joshi, Mandeep Kaur in SL3, Suhas Yathiraj, Sukant Kadam, Tarun in SL4, Palak Kohli in SL4, Krishna Nagar, Sivarajan Solaimalai in SH6, Nithya Sre Sivan in SH6, Thulasimathi Murugesan, Manisha Ramadass in SU5. All the athletes will be in action in the semifinals (If they reach there)
Rakshita Raju in 1500m T11 round 1 in athletics.
Indian athletes in action on September 2, Monday
Manoj Sarkar, Nitesh Kumar in SL3, Manasi Joshi, Mandeep Kaur in SL3, Suhas Yathiraj, Sukant Kadam, Tarun in SL4, Palak Kohli in SL4, Krishna Nagar, Sivarajan Solaimalai in SH6, Nithya Sre Sivan in SH6, Thulasimathi Murugesan, Manisha Ramadass in SU5. All the athletes will be in action in the final (If they reach there)
Shooters Amir Ahmad Bhat and Nihal Singh in P3 mixed 25m pistol. Qualifications begin from 12:30 PM onwards
Yogesh Kathuniya is looking for another medal in the Discus throw final F56
Rakshita Raju 1500m - T11 final in athletics
Rakesh Kumar, Sheetal Devi/Shyam Swami, Sarita in compound open mixed team
Sumit Antil, Sandeep, and Sandip Sargar in javelin F64 final. Sumit looks to defend his crown. Final at 10:30 PM
Kanchan Lakhani in action in Discus throw final F53
Deepthi Jeevanji in 400m T20 - round 1 in athletics
Indian athletes in action on September 3, Tuesday
Pooja in action in individual recurve open. Knockouts and medal events on the same day
Avani Lekhara and Mona Agarwal in R8 - 50m rifle 3P SH1. Qualification and final on the same day
Bhagyashri Jadhav in Shot put F34 final
Deepthi Jeevanji in 400m T20 final in athletics
Indian high jumpers Mariyappan Thangavelu, Shailesh Kumar, and Sharad Kumar in action in the T63 final. The event is at 11:40 PM.
Ajeet Singh, Rinku, Sundar Singh Gurjar in Javelin throw F46 final. The event is at 12:10 AM.
Indian athletes in action on September 4, Wednesday
Arshad Shaikh in C2 and Jyoti Gaderia in C1-3 in Individual time trials in cycling
Archer Harvinder Singh in individual recurve open. Knockouts to start from 12:30 PM. Medal matches on the same day
Shooter Nihal Singh, Rudransh Khandelwal in P4 mixed 50m pistol SH1. Qualification and final on same day
Sachin Sarjerao Khilari, Mohd Yasser, and Rohit Kumar in the Shot put the F46 final in athletics at 1:35 PM.
Amisha Rawat in Shot put F46 final
Powerlifters will begin their campaign. Parmjeet Kumar and Sakina Khatun in action in the 49kg final and 45kg final, respectively
Dharambir, Pranav Soorma, and Amit Kumar in club throw F51 final
Simran in 100m T12 round 1 in athletics
Indian athletes in action on September 5, Friday
Shooters Mona Agarwal and Sidhartha Babu in R6 mixed 50m rifle prone SH1. Qualifications at 1:00 PM
Mixed archery team of Harvinder Singh and Pooja in recurve open. Knockouts to start at 1:30 PM, and medal matches are on same day
Judo athletes Kokila and Kapil Parmar in 48kg J2 and in 60kg J1, respectively
Powerlifter Ashok looks for a medal in up to 65kg final
Arvind in the shot put F35 final at 11:49 PM
Indian athletes in action on September 6, Saturday
Sonalben Patel in action in WS3 singles.
Athletes Dipesh Kumar in Javelin F54 final in athletics at 2:08 PM, Dilip Gavit in 400m T47 round 1 at 2:47 PM, Praveen Kumar in High jump T64 final, Soman Rana and Hokato Sema in Shot put F57 final and Bhavanaben Chaudhary. Simran also in action in 200m T12 round 1
Powerlifter Kasthuri Rajamani looks for a medal in up to 67kg final. Event at 8:30 PM.
In Canoe, Yash Kumar Kayak, Prachi Yadav and Pooja Ojha Kayak will be in action
Indian athletes in action on September 7, Sunday
In cycling, Jyoti Gaderia and Arshad Shaikh
Swimmer Suyash Jadhav in action in 50m Butterfly S-7
Bhavinaben Patel in action in WS4 singles
In Canoe, Yash Kumar and Prachi Yadav in action
In athletics, Navdeep will be in action in the Javelin throw F41 final, Simran in the 200m T12 final and Dilip Gavit in the 400m T47 final
Indian athletes in action on September 8, Monday
Pooja Ojha in action in Kayak single 200m - KL1
