The summer of sport isn’t over yet.
There are still a few days left of the Paris 2024 Paralympics. India, in particular, is hoping for a better ranking than the 71st place it garnered at the Olympics — below tiny Dominica and North Korea. It looks promising. Its medal tally is already higher. Para shooter Avani Lekhara’s second successive gold medal has been the country’s highlight so far.
But whether it is the Paralympics or Olympics, India underwhelms on the global sports stage, relative to its demographic heft. It has won just 41 medals at the Olympics since 1900. On the balance of probability alone — accounting for 1 in 6 people in the world — the nation’s recent performance is embarrassing. It amassed just six medals at the Olympics this year.