The 2024 Paris Paralympics witnessed a historic moment for Indian sports. Following Vinesh Phogat’s Olympic disappointment, India’s para-athletes stepped up, delivering a performance that will be remembered for years to come
Thanks to historical success of Avani Lekhara, Mona Agarwal, Preethi Pal, Manish Narwal, Rubina Francis, Nishad Kumar, Yogesh Kathuniya, Nitesh Kumar, Thulasimathi Murugesan, Manisha Ramadass, Suhas Yathiraj Rakesh Kumar / Sheetal Devi, Sumit Antil, Nithya Sre Sivan, Deepthi Jeevanj, Mariyappan Thangavelu, Sharad Kumar, Ajeet Singh, Sundar Singh Gurjar, Sachin Khilari, Harvinder Singh, Dharambir, Parnav Soorma, Kapil Parmar, Praveen Kumar, Hokato Hotozhe Sema, Simran, and Navdeep Singh.
With a remarkable medal tally, these athletes defied all odds to hoist the Indian flag high on the international stage.
Paralympics 2024 held from August 28 to September 8 brought laurels to the Indian sports arena. Para-athletes with 29 medals, including 7 gold, 9 silver, and 13 bronze, scripted an inspiring story of resilience, determination, and success.
The medal tally is almost more than five times as compared to 6 medals in the Olympics 2024. The medal tally has no gold..
The performance trajectory of Indian para-athletes as compared to 19 medals at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020, marked a substantial improvement.
Lesson for people managers
The remarkable success of para-athletes in the Paralympics 2024 holds a valuable lesson for people leaders and HR professionals striving to build an inclusive and diverse work environment.
With India finishing 18, the medal tally at the Paris Paralympics 2024 is enough to make us think investment in training, learning, and development facilitates people to deliver awe-struck results.
Financial assistance for training and competitions, access to top-tier facilities, and support through programs like the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and Khelo India were vital in helping para-athletes secure a place on the international podium.
Encouraged by the success of the Tokyo Paralympics 2020, the Sports Ministry increased its expenditure by almost three times to Rs 74 crore for the Paris edition, compared to Rs 26 crore.
The first Khelo India Para Games (KIPG) 2023 held in Delhi saw the participation of around 1,500 Para athletes from across the country. The event was aimed to extend its impact by identifying and supporting talented para-athletes.
It shows how developing human capital, crafting robust learning strategies, and fostering a supportive environment are now pivotal for every organisations and HR leaders have a vital role to play.
An HR in the team
Yes, you read it right. Mona Agarwal, a rising star in para-shooting, won a Bronze medal in the R2 Women 10m Air Rifle SH1 event at the Paralympics 2024. “She made a bold decision at the age of 23, to leave home and build an independent life. A native of Sikar Rajasthan, Mona excelled in HR and marketing roles, overcoming numerous physical challenges along the way. In 2016, she shifted her focus to para-athletics, where she made her state debut in throw events, winning gold in all three categories,” according to PIB.
Mona also competed in State-level para powerlifting, earning multiple medals.
The achievements of our para-athletes inspire countless others and demonstrate that with perseverance, even the most challenging obstacles can be overcome.
Beyond the medals, the Paralympics offer a profound lesson in resilience and determination. India’s para-athletes overcame countless challenges to achieve their goals, inspiring us all to push our boundaries and strive for excellence. The record triumph offers lessons for people leaders and HR managers to create workplaces where employees feel empowered to overcome obstacles and achieve extraordinary results.