Mumbai, Dec 3 (IANS): India's top 29 champions from the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games were honoured at a felicitation function to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities here on Tuesday.

The felicitation ceremony was organised by the State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest bank, during which they were presented cheques to celebrate their extraordinary achievements that secured India’s best-ever 18th-place finish at the Paralympics.

Expressing his thoughts at the ceremony, CS Setty, Chairman, SBI, said, “India’s performance at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games marked a defining moment in our nation’s sporting journey. These athletes have redefined what is possible through sheer determination and resilience, breaking barriers and inspiring a nation. At SBI, we are honoured to support these champions and are steadfast with our commitment to nurturing talent and building a more inclusive, thriving ecosystem for Indian sports.”

In line with its commitment to inclusivity, SBI also announced a collaboration with the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) as part of its FY 2024-25 CSR initiatives. The partnership aims to distribute assistive devices to approximately 9,000 Divyangjan across 20 locations nationwide.

These initiatives underscore SBI’s dedication to empowering individuals, promoting inclusivity, and supporting Indian sports.

The champions who were felicitated by SBI included Harvinder Singh, Sumit Antil, Dharambir, Praveen Kumar, Navdeep Singh, Nitesh Kumar, Avani Lekhara -- all of whom bagged gold medals in Paris, silver medallists Nishad Kumar, Yogesh Kanthuniya, Sharad Kumar, Ajeet Singh, Sachin Khilari, Pranav Soorma, Thulasimathi Murugesan, Suhas Yathiraj and Manish Narwal.

The bronze medal winners felicitated on the occasion were Sheetal Devi, Rakesh Kumar, Preethi Pal, Deepthi Jeevanji, Mariyappan Thangavelu, Sundar Singh Gurjar, Hokato Hotozhe Sema, Simran Sharma, Manisha Ramadass, Nithya Sre Sivan, Kapil Parmar, Mona Agarwal, Rubina Francis.