In a special function at Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Draupadi Murmu bestowed the Arjuna Award upon para-archer Rakesh Kumar from Jammu and Kashmir. Kumar, who hails from Reasi district, is the third para-archer to receive this prestigious award, and his exceptional performance in the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo made him a top contender. He represented India at the Paralympics and has a world ranking of No. 1 in compound archery. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha have both congratulated Kumar on his achievement.
The Bihar government announced a major reshuffle in the state's police ranks, transferring 62 IPS officers, including three additional directors general. Among the changes, Avakash Kumar will now take over as the SP of CID, while Kundan Krishnan has been assigned additional charge of the Special Task Force. The SP of the Economic Offences Unit will now be Rakesh Rathi, while Lalit Mohan Sharma and Amit Ranjan have been appointed as SPs in Vaishali and Sitamarhi districts respectively.
In a nail-biting match, Indian archers Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar showed great resilience and determination to secure a bronze medal in the mixed team compound archery competition at the Paralympics in Paris. Sheetal's upgraded shot in the final end proved to be the deciding factor, as the Indian duo defeated Italy's Eleonora Sarti and Matteo Bonacina by 156-155. Despite a tough fight from Iran in the semifinals, the Indian duo held their nerve to make history and become the first Indian woman to win an archery medal at the Paralympics.
In a nail-biting finale, Indian archers Rakesh Kumar and Sheetal Devi brought home bronze in the mixed compound archery event at the Paris Paralympic Games. The 39-year-old Kumar and 17-year-old Devi, both from Jammu and Kashmir, defeated Italy's Eleonora Sarti and Matteo Bonacina with a scoreline of 156-155, marking India's second ever medal in archery at the Paralympic Games. The young Sheetal, born with a rare medical condition, proved to be an unstoppable force on the global stage, while Rakesh, despite a debilitating spinal cord injury, displayed incredible resilience and determination.
At just 20 years old, Sheetal Devi made history by becoming the youngest Indian medallist at the Paralympics. Despite having no arms, Devi and her partner Rakesh Kumar secured a bronze medal in the mixed team compound open archery event in Paris. Their impressive win over Italy's Eleonora Sarti and Matteo Bonacina solidified India's place on the podium.
After facing defeat in the semi-final, the Indian pair of Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar bounced back and secured a bronze medal in the compound open archery mixed team event at the Paralympics. It was an intense match against the Italian team, but the Indians managed to come out on top with a score of 156-155. This is only the second time India has won a medal in archery at the Paralympics, with the first one being a bronze by Harvinder Singh in Tokyo 2020. Despite facing a tough challenge, Devi and Kumar showed remarkable composure and determination to secure the bronze for their country.
In an intense mixed-team compound event, Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar of India triumphed over their Italian opponents with a narrow margin to secure a bronze medal at the Paralympics 2024. After facing a tough loss in the semifinals, the Indian duo showed incredible teamwork and determination to pull off a come-from-behind victory in the bronze medal match. With several other Indian athletes shining at the ongoing Games, the nation can't help but celebrate their achievements.
Indian para-athlete Sheetal Devi, just 17 years old and born without arms, made her mark at the ongoing Paris Paralympics 2024 games. She broke the world record with 703 points in the individual compound rankings round and also set a new mixed compound world record with partner Rakesh Kumar. Her amazing skills and perfect bullseye shot made social media and the crowd go into jubilation and pride as India continues to compete in the games.
On the fourth day of the Paris Paralympics, India secured two more medals in the track & field as well as badminton events. Preeti Pal made history as the first Indian woman track and field athlete to win two medals at the Paralympic Games, while high jumper Nishad Kumar clinched his second successive silver. Despite a heartbreak for para archer Rakesh Kumar, para shuttlers Suhas Yathiraj and Manisha Ramadass assured India of at least two more medals. Additionally, shooter Avani Lekhara missed out on adding another medal to her tally, but badminton player Nitesh Kumar inched closer to India's maiden gold at the Paralympics.
It was a heartbreaking loss for India's Rakesh Kumar at the Paris Paralympics as he narrowly missed out on the bronze medal in the men's singles compound event. After making it to the semifinals, the World No. 1 faced strong competition from top-seed AI Xinliang of China and had to settle for a fourth-place finish. Despite a valiant effort, Rakesh couldn't recover from a crucial mistake in the bronze medal match and ended the competition with a fourth-place finish.