The first batch of Indian Paralympic athletes, led by star javelin thrower Sumit Antil, has left for the Paris Paralympics with an optimistic note of winning at least a dozen medals, including five gold. The para players have left a little in advance to acclimatize themselves to the conditions. Its 16 para-athletes will march into the Games Village on 25 August, three days ahead of the opening ceremony, and will be housed in hotels in Paris for a few days prior.
Apart from Antil, who aims to be the first Indian para-athlete to defend his title won at the Paralympics, he and other Indians will go for a training camp at facilities close to the French capital to acclimatize themselves to the weather. Events in para-athletics are slated to begin on August 30 and go on till September 8, the closing day of the Paralympics.