Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday felicitated India’s just-returned Tokyo Paralympic medallists and hoped the country’s para athletes would break their record performance in the 2024 Paris edition.

The Indian para athletes registered their best-ever performance for the country in the Tokyo Games by winning an unprecedented 19 medals, including five gold, eight silver and six bronze.

“I recall in the 2016 Paralympics, the size of the Indian contingent was 19, while this year the country has won as many as 19 medals. You have shown us that the human spirit is the most powerful of all.

“Our medal tally has increased by about five times. For the first time we have won medals in table tennis and archery, competed for the first time in canoeing and powerlifting. We equalled two world records and we broke even more. India’s para athletes delivered a perfect podium finish,” Thakur said.

He offered government’s full support to the athletes.

“The government’s approach in extending support to athletes for international competitions has undergone a transformational change. The government will continue to support India’s paralympians with facilities and funding so that they may continue to excel internationally.

“We’d like to encourage more regional and national tournaments for our paralympians so they can regularly compete and hone their skills,” said Thakur.

The function was also attended by Thakur’s predecessor and current Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju and Minister of State for Sports Nisith Pramanik among others.

Also present on the occasion were Sports Secretary Ravi Mittal, Sports Authority of India Director General Sandip Pradhan, Paralympic Committee of India President Deepa Malik.