PM Modi wishes Indian contingent ahead of Paris Paralympics: ‘Courage and determination of every athlete…’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished the Indian contingent at the Paris Paralympics 2024 on Wednesday, saying the courage and determination of every athlete are a source of inspiration for the entire nation. The Paralympics 2024 will kick off from August 28 and conclude on September 8.

"140 crore Indians wish our contingent at the Paris Paralympics 2024 the very best. The courage and determination of every athlete are a source of inspiration for the entire nation. Everyone is rooting for their success," he wrote on X.

India has sent an 84-member contingent including 32 women to the Paris Paralympics. The number shows a significant rise from its Tokyo 2020 contingent and is the largest Indian team to ever attend the Paralympic Games.

India will compete in three new sports -- para-cycling, para-rowing and blind judo--at the Paris Paralympics, extending the country's participation to 12 events. Overall, the games will see the participation of players and athletes in 22 sports disciplines.

Tokyo 2020 was India's most successful Paralympic Games. India won 19 medals, including five golds, eight silver and six bronze.

The summer of sports in Paris begins its final chapter on Wednesday with the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games. More than 4,000 athletes with physical, visual and intellectual impairments will compete in 22 sports over the next 11 days.

Organizers are promising a spectacular show to open the Games. Once again it's being held outside the confines of a stadium, but unlike the rain-soaked Olympic opening ceremony, which featured a boat parade on the Seine River, the Paralympic ceremony is happening exclusively on land, with athletes parading down the famous Champs-Elysées to the ceremony at the Place de la Concorde. More than 2 million of the 2.8 million tickets have been sold for the Paris Paralympics.

Competition begins Thursday with the first medals handed out in taekwondo, table tennis and track cycling. Athletes are grouped by impairment levels to ensure as level a playing field as possible. Only two sports on the program, goalball and boccia, don't have an Olympic equivalent.

(With inputs from agencies)