Paralympics: Gold medallist para archer Harvinder Singh and double Paralympic medallist Preeti Pal will be the Indian flag bearers at the closing ceremony of the Paris Paralympic Games on Sunday. 33-year-old Harvinder created history by becoming the first Indian archer to win gold at the Paralympics. Harvinder had earlier won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Harvinder said that carrying the Indian flag during the closing ceremony was the biggest honour he had ever dreamt of. He said, “Winning gold for India was like a dream come true. Now my dream of getting the highest honour of being the flag bearer at the closing ceremony is coming true. This victory belongs to all those people who believed in me and I hope I inspire others who want to make their dreams come true.”
Preeti won bronze medals in the women's T35 event at the Paris Paralympics in 100m and 100m with timings of 14.21 seconds and 30.01 seconds respectively. She said she was thrilled with the news. “It is an honour to represent India as the flag bearer. This initiative is not just for me but for all the para athletes who have made the country proud by pushing their limits,” she said. “I am thrilled to lead our exceptional team in the closing ceremony.”
India gave its best performance till date
The Paris Paralympics has been great for India and the team has broken all its previous records. India has so far won a total of 26 medals in the Games with six gold, nine silver and 11 bronze, which is its best ever performance in the Paralympics. At the Tokyo Paralympics, India won a total of 19 medals including five gold.