Asian Para Games 2023: Tokyo Paralympics gold medallists Avani Lekhara and Sumit Antil shall be main India’s biggest-ever contingent because the nation goals for a report medal haul within the Para Asian Games, which begin right here on Sunday, a fortnight after the able-bodied athletes achieved historic success on the similar venue.

Star shooter Avani, who gained a gold and a bronze medal in Tokyo Paralympics, and javelin thrower Antil, who additionally clinched a yellow metallic within the Japanese capital in 2021, shall be amongst a number of Indian medal contenders within the continental showpiece, which is able to proceed until October 28.

Another para shooter Manish Narwal in addition to shuttlers Pramod Bhagat and Krishna Nagar, who all gained gold within the Tokyo Paralympics, shall be among the many 313 Indian athletes on the Hangzhou Para Asian Games, essentially the most in any version.

India is taking part in 17 out of the 22 sports activities within the Hangzhou Para Asian Games. The nation is fielding athletes for the primary time in rowing, canoeing, garden bowl, taekwondo and blind soccer.

Nearly 4,000 athletes from 43 nations shall be competing throughout 22 sports activities in 566 gold-medal occasions within the Para Games.

The Para Asian Games have been initially scheduled to happen from October 9-15, 2022 however have been postponed by a yr because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

China, who’ve topped the medals desk by an awesome margin in each version to this point, are fielding 439 athletes. The host nation gained a whopping 319 medals (172 gold, 88 silver, 59 bronze) within the 2018 version.

The first Para Asian Games was held in 2010 in Guangzhou, China, the place India had completed fifteenth with 14 medals, together with one gold.

In the 2014 and 2018 editions, India had completed fifteenth and ninth respectively, and this time, the nation can be seeking to transfer up the medals desk, taking inspirations from the unprecedented success achieved by their able-bodied counterparts.

With 51 of the 54 athletes who took half within the Tokyo Paralympics competing in Hangzhou, India is hoping for its best-ever medal haul right here. India gained 72 medals (15 gold, 24 silver, 33 bronze) in 2018 Para Asian Games, the most effective to this point.