Bhagyashri Jadhav, Sumit Antil named India's flag-bearers for Paris Paralympics opening ceremony

New Delhi: Defending javelin throw champion Sumit Antil and shot-put star Bhagyashri Jadhav have been named India's flagbearers for Paris Paralympics 2024 opening ceremony during the send-off event of the Indian contingent on Friday.

The Paralympic Games will take place from August 28 to September 8. Unsurprisingly, it's the Olympic venues that will be used to award the thousands of Paralympic medals.

India will be represented by 84 athletes at the Paris Paralympics, the country's largest-ever contingent, a significant increase from the 54 who competed in Tokyo.

Sumit is a reigning Paralympic champion in the men's Javelin Throw F64 category. He also won the gold medal in the Men's Javelin Throw F64 category at the Para-Athletics World Championships in May.

The 25-year-old is the world record holder in men’s javelin (F64). In the last edition of the World Championships, Antil came up with an effort of 70.83m, the then world record mark, to clinch gold.

Months later, he smashed his own record when he hurled the javelin to 73.29m at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games to clinch the gold medal.

Bhagyashri, on the other hand, won a silver medal in the shot put F34 category at the 2022 Asian Para Games and finished seventh at the Tokyo Paralympics. She also won silver in Women's Shot Put F34 at the Para-Athletics World Championships in May this year.