Which player was the Indian flag bearer at the closing ceremony of Tokyo Paralympic 2020?

Correct — option (4), Avani Lekhara.

The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games were held from 24 August to 5 September 2021. In a report dated 4 September 2021, India Today said that shooter Avani Lekhara "will be India's flag-bearer at Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games closing ceremony on Sunday", the day the Games closed.

After the Games ended, a Times of India report of 12 September 2021 said she "was also India's flag-bearer at the Closing Ceremony of the recently concluded Tokyo Paralympics".

She was a double medallist at those Games. Olympics.com lists her gold in the women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 and bronze in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1.

India Today called her the first Indian woman to win two medals in the same Paralympics.

The idea to remember: India had different flag bearers at the two Tokyo 2020 Paralympic ceremonies: Tek Chand at the opening, Avani Lekhara at the closing.

Why the others are wrong

• (1)
  Devendra Jhajharia — Devendra Jhajharia won silver in the men's javelin throw F46 at Tokyo 2020.

  Olympics.com reported that the silver made him India's most decorated Paralympian, adding to his golds at Athens 2004 and Rio 2016, and took him level with Joginder Singh Bedi at three Paralympic medals. He is from Churu, Rajasthan. India Today reported Avani Lekhara as the closing-ceremony flag bearer.

• (2)
  Tek Chand — Tek Chand was India's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, not the closing ceremony.

  The Times of India reported on 24 August 2021 that Mariyappan Thangavelu had been "replaced by shot-putter Tek Chand as the country's flag bearer" after he came in close contact with a Covid-positive passenger on his flight to Tokyo.

• (3)
  Sundar Singh Gurjar — Sundar Singh Gurjar won bronze in the men's javelin throw F46 at Tokyo 2020, finishing behind Devendra Jhajharia in the same event, according to Olympics.com.

  He was born in Karauli, Rajasthan. He was not India's closing-ceremony flag bearer; that was Avani Lekhara.

At the Paralympic Games, as at the Olympics, each team's flag is carried into the opening ceremony and again at the closing ceremony. A team can name different athletes for the two ceremonies.

At Tokyo 2020, India's opening-ceremony flag bearer changed on the day: shot-putter Tek Chand replaced Mariyappan Thangavelu, who was kept out after a Covid exposure.

For the closing ceremony on 5 September 2021, India Today reported the day before that shooter Avani Lekhara, gold and bronze medallist at those Games, would carry India's flag. A Times of India report of 12 September 2021 says she was.

Key facts

• 5 September 2021 closing ceremony: India Today reported the day before that Avani Lekhara would be India's flag bearer; the Times of India reported on 12 September that she was.
• Shot-putter Tek Chand carried India's flag at the opening ceremony in place of Mariyappan Thangavelu.
• Avani Lekhara won gold in the women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 and bronze in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1.
• Devendra Jhajharia won silver and Sundar Singh Gurjar bronze in the men's javelin throw F46.
• India won 19 medals at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics: five gold, eight silver and six bronze.

Common traps

• Opening and closing ceremonies: Tek Chand carried India's flag at the opening; Avani Lekhara carried it at the closing.
• Medal count and flag duty are different things: Devendra Jhajharia won his third Paralympic medal at Tokyo, but Avani Lekhara was named closing-ceremony flag bearer.
• Two Rajasthan javelin medallists in one event: Jhajharia (silver) and Gurjar (bronze) both medalled in the men's javelin throw F46.

UnlockIAS will link similar questions from RAS Pre 2016 here once that paper is published on this site.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Who carried India's flag at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, replacing Mariyappan Thangavelu?

  • (a)Tek Chand
  • (b)Avani Lekhara
  • (c)Sumit Antil
  • (d)Devendra Jhajharia
  Answer(1) — The Times of India reported on 24 August 2021 that shot-putter Tek Chand replaced Mariyappan Thangavelu as flag bearer. Option (2) was named flag bearer for the closing ceremony. Option (3) won gold in the men's javelin throw F64 and option (4) silver in the men's javelin throw F46.
• practice — not a real PYQ

  In which event did Avani Lekhara win a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics?

  • (a)Women's 10m air rifle standing SH1
  • (b)Women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1
  • (c)Mixed 50m pistol SH1
  • (d)Women's singles table tennis Class 4
  Answer(1) — Olympics.com lists her gold in the women's 10m air rifle standing SH1. In option (2) she won bronze. Option (3) was won by Manish Narwal, and option (4) is Bhavina Patel's silver-medal event.