Who is Preethi Pal, the Indian sprinter with two bronze medals in Paris Paralympics?

Preeti Pal created history on Friday as she became the first Indian to win a para-athletics medal at the Paralympics.

The Muzaffarnagar-based para-athlete won bronze in women's 100m T35 race with a personal best timing of 14.21 at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. China’s Xia Zhou and Qianqian Guo won the gold and silver medals with a timing of 13.58 and 13.74 respectively.

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Two days later, Preethi would add a bronze in the women’s 200-metre race as well with a timing of 30.01 seconds, with Zhou and Guo once again winning gold and silver respectively.

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The T35 classification is for athletes with coordination impairments, including conditions such as hypertonia, ataxia, athetosis, and cerebral palsy.

Who is Preethi Pal?

Preeti Pal was born to a farmer’s family on 22 September 2000. She faced significant physical challenges, when she was born, her lower body was plastered 6 Days after birth. With weak legs and an irregular leg posture, making her prone to various diseases. She underwent various traditional treatments to strengthen her legs.

At the age of five, she started wearing calipers and wore them for eight years. Despite many doubting her survival, Preeti proved to be a fighter, overcoming life-threatening conditions and emerged victorious, demonstrating with incredible strength and resilience.

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At 17, Preeti’s perspective began to shift when she watched the Paralympic Games on social media. She was inspired and realized that she too could pursue her dreams. Determined to improve, she began practicing at the stadium, but financial constraints made it difficult for her to afford transportation. Her life changed when she met Paralympic athlete Fatima Khatoon, who introduced her to para-athletics.

BRONZE 🥉 For INDIA 🇮🇳

🏃‍♀️ Preethi Pal wins bronze medal in the Women's 100m T35 Final.#Paris2024 #Cheer4Bharat #Paralympics2024 #ParaAthletics @mansukhmandviya @MIB_India @PIB_India @IndiaSports @ParalympicIndia @PCI_IN_Official @Media_SAI @AkashvaniAIR @DDNational… pic.twitter.com/igEYUhtpmu

— Doordarshan Sports (@ddsportschannel) August 30, 2024

With Fatima’s support, Preeti competed in the State Para Athletics Championships in 2018 and then competed in numerous national events. Her hard work paid off when she qualified for the Asian Para Games 2022, where she finished 4th in both the 100m and 200m sprints.

Although she didn’t win a medal at the Asian Para Games, Preeti remained motivated and aimed for the Paralympic Games. She moved to Delhi to train under Coach Gajender Singh. Together, they focused on refining her running techniques, leading to significant improvements in her performance.

Preeti’s dedication and hard work culminated in her selection for the World Para Athletics Championship, where she excelled, winning bronze medals in both the 100m and 200m events in 2024.

Preethi Pal key details

Home location: Muzaffarnagar, U.P
Discipline: Para Athletics
Event: Women’s T35 100m & 200m
Training Base: SAI JLN Stadium, New Delhi
Disability Class: T35 (Coordination impairments (hypertonia, ataxia and athetosis)

Major achievements

World Para Athletics Championship (2024) - 02 Bronze Medals
Asian Para Games 2022 (2023) - 4th Position
Indian Open Para Athletics International Championship (2024) - 02 Gold Medals
National Para Athletics Championship (2024) - 2 Gold Medals

Key Government Intervention

Financial Assistance for training a competition
Out-of-pocket allowance under TOPS
OPA under Khelo India along with training facility