NEW DELHI, Dec 10: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded the Indian contingent for their remarkable performance at the 10th Asia Pacific Deaf Games 2024, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 68-member team, comprising 42 men and 26 women, achieved an unprecedented feat, winning 8 gold, 18 silver, and 29 bronze medals. Their historic tally of 55 medals secured a fifth-place finish among 21 participating countries, marking India’s best-ever performance in the quadrennial tournament since its inception in 1984.
Taking to X, PM Modi congratulated the athletes for their “record-shattering performance.” He wrote, “Congratulations to our Indian contingent for a historic performance at the 10th Asia Pacific Deaf Games 2024 held in Kuala Lumpur! Our talented athletes have brought immense pride to our nation by winning an extraordinary 55 medals, making it India’s best-ever performance at the games. This remarkable feat has motivated the entire nation, especially those passionate about sports.”
In previous editions, India had a modest record. The team secured five medals (two gold and three silver) in 2015 in Taiwan, finishing ninth among 23 countries. The 2019 edition was canceled due to political unrest in Hong Kong.
The 2024 contingent achieved their highest-ever medal haul in athletics with 28 medals, including 5 gold, 12 silver, and 11 bronze. Other notable performances included six medals in badminton (three silver and three bronze), three medals in chess (one silver and two bronze), seven in judo (two gold and five bronze), three in table tennis (one silver and two bronze), and eight in wrestling (one gold, one silver, and six bronze).
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) played a key role in preparing the team, organizing discipline-wise training camps for the 68 athletes at venues such as Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi, SAI NCOE Sonepat, and SAI Regional Centre in Lucknow. Additionally, SAI provided financial support for the team’s travel and accommodation in Malaysia.
