India’s Paralympic contingent continued its strong performance at the Paris Games on Saturday, securing more medals and advancing in several events. Shooter Rubina Francis achieved a historic feat by becoming India’s first female pistol shooter to win a Paralympic medal, claiming bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol SH1 event. This victory took India’s total medal count to five for the third day of competition.
Francis, a 25-year-old from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, who competes with a clubfoot, scored 211.1 points in the final, placing third out of eight participants. Iran’s Sareh Javanmardi dominated the event, securing gold with 236.8 points, while Turkey’s Aysel Ozgan took silver with 231.1 points. Francis had qualified for the final by finishing seventh in the qualification round.
The SH1 category allows athletes with varying degrees of disability to compete, as they can hold their guns without difficulty and shoot from either a standing or sitting position, utilizing a wheelchair or chair if needed.
India’s badminton contingent also shone brightly on Saturday. Sukant Kadam, competing in his debut Paralympics, secured a spot in the men’s singles SL4 semifinals after defeating Thailand’s Teamarrom Siripong 21-12, 21-12. This victory guarantees India another medal, as Kadam will now face his compatriot, Tokyo silver medalist Suhas Yathiraj, in the semifinals.
Kadam, who previously won bronze at the Asian Para Games last year, expressed his delight at reaching the semifinals. “It’s my debut tournament. I am so happy to qualify for the semifinals. I was well prepared for today’s game. The first match was much tougher than this. And against him I have played plenty of times and I was very confident. So, I wanted to go one point at a time and then I played really well,” said Kadam.
In the men’s SL4 category, only the group winners advance to the semifinals, and Kadam emerged as the top finisher in his group. Meanwhile, Nitesh Kumar, who won a silver medal at the previous Asian Para Games, also progressed to the semifinals of the men’s singles SL3 category, securing three consecutive wins in his group.
In the women’s singles SL3 category, Mandeep Kaur secured her place in the quarterfinals after a hard-fought victory against Australia’s Vinot Celine Aurelie. However, the Indian mixed doubles pair of Sivarajan Solaimalai and Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan faced disappointment, losing to Miles Krajewski and Jayci Simon of the USA in the Mixed Doubles SH6 semifinals.
While India enjoyed success in shooting and badminton, the day brought challenges in other disciplines. Archers Sarita Kumari and Sheetal Devi were eliminated in the compound women’s open category, with Kumari losing to top-seed Oznur Cure Girdi of Korea in the quarterfinals and Devi narrowly losing to Tokyo silver medalist Mariana Zuniga of Chile in the last-16 stage.
Cyclists Arshad Shaik and Jyoti Gaderiya also faced disappointing exits during the qualification rounds. Shaik finished 17th in the men’s 1,000m time trial C1-3, and Gaderiya placed 11th in the women’s 500m time trial C1-3. Both athletes will also compete in road cycling events.
Rowers Anita and Narayana Konganapalle were eliminated from the mixed PR3 double sculls event after finishing behind Ukraine and Great Britain. The pair will compete in Final B to determine the 7th to 12th place finishers.
Despite the mixed results, India’s Paralympic team continues to show strong potential in multiple disciplines, showcasing the dedication and talent of Indian athletes on the world stage. As the competition progresses, expectations remain high for further success and the possibility of adding more medals to India’s tally.
