Gold medalist Harvinder Singh and sprinter Preeti Pal, who made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win two medals at the Paralympics, have been chosen as India’s flag bearers for the paralympics closing ceremony. The ceremony will take place on Sunday.
Harvinder Singh’s Achievements
Harvinder, 33, became the first Indian archer to win gold at the Paralympics and also secured a bronze medal in Tokyo 2021. He expressed that carrying the national flag is the greatest honor he could have ever imagined. Harvinder, who has had a leg impairment since childhood, said, “Winning gold for India was a dream come true, and now being a flag-bearer is the highest honor. I hope to inspire others to follow their dreams.”
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Preeti Pal’s Record-Breaking Performance
Preeti, 23, earned two bronze medals in the T35 100m and 200m races, with personal bests of 14.21 and 30.01 seconds. She said, “It’s a huge honor to be the flag-bearer for India. This moment represents every para-athlete who has worked hard to make our country proud.”
Preeti, who was born in Uttar Pradesh, is a T35 athlete and faces challenges such as hypertonia, ataxia, and athetosis.
Inspiring Future Generations
Satya Prakash Sangwan, the chef de mission for India, highlighted how both athletes’ accomplishments will inspire future generations. “Harvinder’s gold in archery and Preeti’s outstanding performance in athletics show our athletes’ resilience. They are true symbols of determination, and their achievements will motivate future para-athletes.”
India has so far won 26 medals at the Paris Paralympics, including six gold and nine silver, marking their best performance ever.
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