NEW DELHI: The
Paris Paralympics
opening ceremony will witness the participation of over 100 members of the
Indian contingent
, including 52 athletes from various sports.
This marks a historic moment as the ceremony will be held outside a stadium for the first time in the Games' history.
Athletes with competitions scheduled for Thursday, including the entire 10-member shooting team, will not participate in the parade of nations, reported PTI.
"All the athletes who have competitions on August 29 will not take part in the
opening ceremony
as it will be difficult for them to compete the next day. The shooting team will not be in the parade of nations," stated
Devendra Jhajharia
, president of the
Paralympics Committee of India
.
The shooting team, which includes defending Tokyo gold medalist Avani Lekhara, is stationed at Chateauroux, over 200km away from Paris, where the shooting range is located.
The Indian contingent at the parade of nations will consist of 106 members, with 52 athletes and 54 officials.
Sumit Antil
(F64), the defending gold medalist in javelin throw, and
Bhagyashree Jadhav
(F34), a shot putter, will serve as the joint flag bearers for India during the opening ceremony.
The outdoor ceremony will take place at the Champs-Elysees and Place de la Concorde in central Paris. Contingents from all participating nations will parade along a section of the Champs-Elysees, the most iconic avenue in Paris.
This follows the precedent set by the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, which was also held outside a stadium on July 26, along the banks of the Seine river.
India is sending a record-breaking 84-member team to the Paris Paralympics, aiming to secure 25 medals, including double-digit gold. In the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics, a 54-member Indian team won 19 medals, including five gold.
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