Teenage Indians kept the flag flying high at the Tokyo Paralympics on Friday as 18-year-old Praveen Kumar winning silver men’s high jump T64, beating the Rio 2016 champion, while 19-year-old Avani Lekhara became the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic medals.
Both are making their debut at the Games.
India at Tokyo Paralympics, day 10 live updates
Kumar set a personal best and bettered his own Asian record finished on the podium behind only the reigning world champion. This was Kumar’s first major medal since taking up the sport in 2019.
Lekhara, who is the first Indian woman to Paralympic gold medalist when she won the women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1, put in a gritty performance to win her second medal after surviving a virtual shoot-off.
Their medals on Friday morning extended India’s tally to 12 medals, matching the best tally in the country’s Paralympic history before Tokyo 2020. Two more medals are already assured in badminton.
Here’s a look at some of the best reactions to their feat.
Praveen Kumar
Avani Lekhara
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