Ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, India's cumulative medal tally over the years stood at a somewhat meagre 12. The best ever showing had been at the 2016 Rio Paralympics where India had won four medals. A lot has however changed over the last few days as India entered the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics with an unprecedented contingent of 54 athletes.
As the Tokyo games drew to a close on Sunday, India's medal tally stood at a whopping 19 medals. The list includes five gold, eight silver and six bronze medals. And the cumulative tally has now moved rapidly from 12 to 31.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday was all praises for the Paralympic contingent as India registered a historic win at the 2020 Tokyo games.
"In the history of Indian sports, the Tokyo #Paralympics will always have a special place. The games will remain etched in the memory of every Indian and will motivate generations of athletes to pursue sports. Every member of our contingent is a champion and source of inspiration", PM Modi said.
"The historic number of medals India won has filled our hearts with joy. I would like to appreciate the coaches, support staff and families of our athletes for their constant support to the players. We hope to build on our successes to ensure greater participation in sports", the Prime Minister added.
He further thanked and lauded the Japan government efforts towards the games and athletes. "Like I had said earlier, the people of Japan, particularly Tokyo and the Japanese Government, must be lauded for their exceptional hospitality, eye for detail and spreading the much needed message of resilience and togetherness through these Olympics", Modi said.
According to data provided by the official website of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, India has ranked 24th on the global leaderboard - it's highest-ever showing. China leads the tally with a total of 207 medals including 96 Golds.
