The Tokyo 2020 Paralympics will open on August 24 at the same venue as the Tokyo 2020 Olympics did. While the Olympics was first played in 1896, the first Paralympics Games was played in 1960. The Paralympics Games are divided into six categories – intellectual disability, amputee, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, visual impairment, and ‘les austres’.

The last category is for athletes who do not fit into any of the other categories.

India’s 54-member strong contingent:

A 54-member Indian team will be participating in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. The contingent has some of the brightest medal prospects like Devendra Jhajharia in F-46 javelin throw, Mariyappan Thangavelu (T-63 high jump) and world champion Sandeep Choudhary (F-64 javelin throw). India will compete in nine sports.

Of the 54-member strong contingent, 24 athletes will compete in athletics in javelin throw, high jump, discus throw and shot put.

10 athletes will participate in shooting events, seven in badminton and five in archery. The other disciplines where India will be participating are table tennis, powerlifting, swimming and one each in canoeing and taekwondo.

India’s previous medal tally

To date, India has won 12 medals at the Paralympics Games, including four gold medals.

India’s Murlikant Petkar won the nation’s first-ever Paralympic medal – a gold in the 50m freestyle swimming event. This happened in 1972 Heidelberg when he set a record of 37.33 seconds in the event.

In the 2016 Rio edition, India won four medals – two of which were gold. Mariyappan Thangavelu clinched the gold in men’s high jump event while javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia won his second gold medal. His first came in 2004 Athens.

The other two medal winners in the Rio edition were Deepa Malik (shot put silver) and Varun Singh Bhati (high jump bronze).

PCI president Deepa Malik said: “The games will not be the same again after Tokyo2020 Paralympics. We are going to see a record haul of medals as our athletes are in prime form.”

India will start its campaign on August 27, with men’s and women’s archery events.