Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Anurag Singh Thakur felicitated India’s Para Athletes who won a historic 19 medals, including 5 gold and 8 silver in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Union Law Minister Shri Kiren Rijiju and Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Nisith Pramanik also graced the event. Secretary of Department of Sports Shri Ravi Mittal, Secretary of Department Youth Affairs Smt. Usha Sharma and other officers of the Ministry were also present on this occasion. 

During his address, Shri Anurag Thakur congratulated all the para-athletes for their fantastic performance and said, "I recall in the 2016 Paralympics, the size of the Indian contingent was 19, while this year the country has won as many as 19 medals! You have shown us that the human spirit is the most powerful of all ! Our medal tally has increased by about five times. For the first time, we have won medals in Table Tennis, won multiple medals in Archery, competed for the first time in canoeing and powerlifting. We equalled two world records and we broke even more. India's para-athletes delivered a perfect podium finish!"