India can celebrate its National Sports Day with a couple of medals at the Paris Paralympic Games 2024 on Thursday, August 29. (Full Paralympics Coverage|More Sports News)
An action-packed opening day will witness more than 10 Indian para-athletes in action with Aruna Tanwar and Jyoti Gaderiya vying for medals.
Tanwar, a five-time national para taekwondo champion, starts her campaign in the women's K44-47kg event with a round of 16 bout against Nurcihan Ekinci of Turkey (tentative timing 2:30 PM IST) at Grand Palais. Check live streaming details HERE.
A win against her Turkish opponent, and the 24-year-old Indian will face Asian Para Games and World Championships gold medallist Khwansuda Phuangkitcha, who received a bye in the first round, in the quarterfinals.
In this event, a para-athlete needs four successive wins to claim the gold medal.
That's the big prize, but there's a repechage window, even if one falters in the earlier rounds.
Aruna, who became the first-ever Indian to qualify for Paralympic taekwondo at the Tokyo Games, is the country's lone competitor in the sport at Paris 2024.
Soon after Aruna Tanwar's round of 16 bout, her compatriot Jyoti Gaderiya will ride for glory at Velodrome de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.
The 26-year-old para cyclist from Maharashtra is one of the 10 competitors in the women's C1-3 3000m individual pursuit track event.
The scheduled qualifying start time is 4:25 PM IST.
Later, Gaderiya will also compete in the women's 500m time trial C1-3 (track) and a couple of road events -- women's time trial C1-3 and women's road race C1-3.
She and Shaikh Arshad from Andhra Pradesh are the only Indian cyclists to have qualified for the Paris Paralympics.
What are the medal events on Day 1 of the Paris Paralympics?
There are as many as 22 medal events on Day 1 of the Paris Olympics.
They are: para-cycling track (women's C4-5 500m time trial, C1-3 3000m individual pursuit, men's B 4000m individual pursuit, C1 3000m individual pursuit); para-swimming (men's S9 400m freestyle, S1 100m backstroke, S2 100m backstroke, S14 100m butterfly, SB3 50m breaststroke, S10 50m freestyle, S13 100m butterfly, S5 200m freestyle; women's S9 400m freestyle, S2 100m backstroke, S14 100m butterfly, S6 50m freestyle, S10 50m freestyle, S13 100m butterfly, S5 200m freestyle); para-taekwondo (women K44 -47kg, K44 -52kg; men K44 -58kg).
Besides Aruna Tanwar and Jyoti Gaderiya, a host of other para-athletes will also be in action today.
Check the full list of Indians in action today HERE.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand on the National Sports Day.
"Greetings on National Sports Day. Today we pay homage to Major Dhyan Chand Ji. It is an occasion to compliment all those passionate about sports and those who have played for India," Modi said on X. "Our Government is committed to supporting sports and ensuring more youth are able to play and shine," the prime minister said.
India celebrates National Sports Day on August 29 every year to mark the birth anniversary of Major Chand.
