India at the Paralympics
Encyclopedia
India
made its Summer Paralympic
début at the 1968 Games
, competed again in 1972
, and then was absent until the 1984 Games
. The country has participated in every edition of the Summer Games since then. It has never participated in the Winter Paralympic Games
.
In 1972 at the Heidelberg
Games, Petkar swam the 50 meter freestyle in a world record time of 37.331 seconds to give India her first ever Gold. India finished 25th out of the 42 participating nations.
In 1984, Joginder Singh Bedi won silver at the Men's Shot Put and followed it up with a pair of bronze winning performances in the Discus and Javelin throws. Another Indian, Bhimrao Kesarhar, won the silver medal in the Javelin. India finished 37th out of the 54 participating nations.
After the success of the cooperative effort between the ICC and the IOC, which resulted in the 1988 Summer Paralympics
in Seoul, the ICC determined the need to expand and include representatives from all nations that had disability sports programs. The 1988 Summer Paralympics were the first Paralympics in 24 years that take place in the same city as the Olympic Games. This was the first time the term Paralympic Games
came into official use.They also deemed it necessary to include athletes in the decisions of the Paralympic governing body. Consequently this body was reorganized as the International Paralympic Committee
(IPC) in 1989.The IPC is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. It comprises 165 National Paralympic Committees (NPC) and four disability-specific international sports federations.
India continued to participate in each Paralympic Games
thereafter, but failed to make an impact till the 2004 Summer Paralympics
in Athens
when Devendra Jhajharia, Javelin thrower, won gold(first paralympic gold for india) and Rajinder Singh won bronze for powerlifting in the 56-kg category. India finished 53rd out of the 136 nation field.http://www.thesportscampus.com/beijing-news/india-paralympic-games-2008
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
made its Summer Paralympic
Summer Paralympic Games
The Summer Paralympic Games or the Games of the Paralympiad, are an international multi-sport event, where athletes with physical disabilities compete. This includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. The Paralympic Games are held every four years,...
début at the 1968 Games
1968 Summer Paralympics
The 1968 Summer Paralympics were the third Paralympic Games to be held. Organised under the guidance of the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation , they were known as the 17th International Stoke Mandeville Games at the time...
, competed again in 1972
1972 Summer Paralympics
The 1972 Summer Paralympics, the fourth edition of the Paralympic Games, were held in Heidelberg, West Germany, from August 2 to 11, 1972.- Sports :As with previous Paralympics, the 1972 games were intended for wheelchair athletes only...
, and then was absent until the 1984 Games
1984 Summer Paralympics
The 1984 Summer Paralympics were the seventh Paralympic Games to be held. They were held in two separate locations, Stoke Mandeville, United Kingdom and in the Mitchel Athletic Complex and Hofstra University in Long Island, New York, United States of America The 1984 Summer Paralympics were the...
. The country has participated in every edition of the Summer Games since then. It has never participated in the Winter Paralympic Games
Winter Paralympic Games
The Winter Paralympic Games is an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete. This includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and cerebral palsy. The Winter Paralympic Games are held every four years directly following the Winter...
.
In 1972 at the Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
Games, Petkar swam the 50 meter freestyle in a world record time of 37.331 seconds to give India her first ever Gold. India finished 25th out of the 42 participating nations.
In 1984, Joginder Singh Bedi won silver at the Men's Shot Put and followed it up with a pair of bronze winning performances in the Discus and Javelin throws. Another Indian, Bhimrao Kesarhar, won the silver medal in the Javelin. India finished 37th out of the 54 participating nations.
After the success of the cooperative effort between the ICC and the IOC, which resulted in the 1988 Summer Paralympics
1988 Summer Paralympics
The 1988 Summer Paralympics were the first Paralympics in 24 years that take place in the same city as the Olympic Games. They took place in Seoul, South Korea. This was the first time the term "Paralympic" came into official use.- Sports :...
in Seoul, the ICC determined the need to expand and include representatives from all nations that had disability sports programs. The 1988 Summer Paralympics were the first Paralympics in 24 years that take place in the same city as the Olympic Games. This was the first time the term Paralympic Games
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
came into official use.They also deemed it necessary to include athletes in the decisions of the Paralympic governing body. Consequently this body was reorganized as the International Paralympic Committee
International Paralympic Committee
The International Paralympic Committee is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and functions as the international federation for nine sports...
(IPC) in 1989.The IPC is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. It comprises 165 National Paralympic Committees (NPC) and four disability-specific international sports federations.
India continued to participate in each Paralympic Games
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
thereafter, but failed to make an impact till the 2004 Summer Paralympics
2004 Summer Paralympics
The 2004 Summer Paralympics were held in Athens, Greece, from September 17 to September 28. The twelfth Paralympic Games, an estimated 4,000 athletes took part in the Athens programme, with ages ranging from 11 to 66. Paralympic events had already taken place during the 2004 Summer Olympics as...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
when Devendra Jhajharia, Javelin thrower, won gold(first paralympic gold for india) and Rajinder Singh won bronze for powerlifting in the 56-kg category. India finished 53rd out of the 136 nation field.http://www.thesportscampus.com/beijing-news/india-paralympic-games-2008