Mariyappan Thangavelu, the reigning high jump champion, will be India's flagbearer in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics opening ceremony as earlier decided.
After Mariyappan Thangavelu was put into quarantine for suspected COVID-19 exposure during his journey to Tokyo, a Japanese volunteer is expected to carry the Indian national flag during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics on Tuesday.
Thangavelu will lead India's delegation into Japan's National Stadium, according to the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) as decided earlier. Mariyappan qualified for the Paralympic Games with a third-place finish at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships.
However, because there isn't enough time to nominate a substitute flag-bearer, the honour of carrying the 'tri-color' is likely to be handed to a volunteer. The ceremony will begin at 4:30 p.m. IST. Eurosport/HD will broadcast the opening ceremony live. The Eurosport live broadcast will also be available on the Discovery+ app.
Mariyappan, who will compete in the men's high jump F42 event, is permitted to practise but must adhere to strict time constraints. Athletes with a leg deficit, leg length difference, decreased muscular power, or impaired passive range of motion in the legs fall into the F42 group.
Meanwhile, officials from the IPC are in talks with event organisers on an Indian flagbearer.
Since its debut at the 1968 Summer Paralympics, India has won 12 medals in the Summer Paralympics, including four gold medals and as many silver and bronze medals.
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With the Paralympic Games in Tokyo starting on Tuesday, here's a look at all of India's previous medalists.
1972, Heidelberg Paralympics
MURLIKANT PETKAR: GOLD
Petkar raced to gold in the men's 50m freestyle swimming event, setting a world record time of 37.33 seconds. It was the country's first ever medal at the Paralympics.
Patekar was a boxer in the Indian Army before losing his arm in the 1965 Indo-Pak war and switching to swimming and other sports.
At the Paralympics and the Olympics, he was India's first individual gold medalist.
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1984, New York (US), Stoke Mandeville (UK) Paralympics
JOGINDER SINGH BEDI: 1 SILVER, 2 BRONZE
Bedi took silver in the shot put event and bronze in the discus and javelin throws, respectively. He holds the record for the most Paralympic medals won by an Indian.
BHIMRAO KESARKAR: SILVER
At the 1984 Paralympics, which were co-hosted by Stoke Mandeville, UK, and New York, USA, Kesarkar won silver in the men's javelin throw event.
In the same event, he finished ahead of compatriot Joginder Singh Bedi, who took bronze.
2004, Athens Paralympics
DAVENDRA JHAJHARIA: GOLD
Jhajharia won gold in the men's javelin throw at the Athens Games, ending India's 20-year drought for a Paralympic medal. Jhajharia set a new world record with his 62.15m throw in Athens, which he would rewrite 12 years later.
Jhajharia, who hails from a tiny hamlet in Rajasthan's Churu region, had his left hand amputated when he was approximately eight years old after accidently touching a live electric line wrapped in a tree branch he had climbed. Jhajharia would also be in action in Tokyo.
RAJINDER SINGH RAHELU: BRONZE
Rahelu, India's second Athens Games medalist, participated in the 56kg men's powerlifting event. With a weight of 157.5kg, he won bronze.
Rahelu, who was born in Mehsampur village in the Jalandhar region of Punjab, suffers from infantile paralysis. When he was eight months old, he developed polio.
2012, London Paralympics
GIRISHA NAGARAJEGOWDA: SILVER
Nagarajegowda, the lone Indian medalist in the London Olympics, won silver in the men's high jump with a leap of 1.74 metres.
Nagarajegowda, who has a disability in his left leg, became the first Indian to earn a medal in that event with his achievement.
2016, Rio Paralympics
DAVENDRA JHAJHARIA: GOLD
Jhajharia made history when he threw the javelin to a distance of 63.97 metres in the men's javelin throw event in Rio, becoming the first Indian to win two gold medals in the Paralympic Games.
Jhajharia, one of India's most decorated Paralympic competitors, also broke his own world record, which he established 12 years ago at the Athens Games. He'll also be competing in the Tokyo Olympics, where he hopes to win his third gold medal.
MARIYAPPAN THANGAVELU: GOLD
Thangavelu won gold in the high jump at the Rio Olympics, leaping 1.89 metres. He is one of just three Paralympians in the country to have won a gold medal.
His amazing performance saw him demolish the previous Asian record. He is from Salem district in Tamil Nadu.
Thangavelu, who was permanently disabled after a bus smashed his right leg below the knee when he was five years old, will defend his gold at the Tokyo Olympics.
DEEPA MALIK- SILVER
When Malik won silver in the shot put event in Rio with a best throw of 4.61m, she became the first woman from India to win a Paralympic medal.
Malik, a paraplegic who is paralysed from the waist down, was confined to a wheelchair after undergoing surgery for a spine tumour.
She is presently the President of the Indian Paralympic Committee.
VARUN SINGH BHATI- BRONZE
Bhati earned bronze in the high jump at the Rio Olympics, joining compatriot Mariyappan Thangavelu on the podium, who won gold.
Bhati, who was diagnosed with poliomyelitis at a young age, set a personal best record of 1.86 metres, completing India's most successful Paralympics to date.