Team India skipper Virat Kohli has wished good luck to the national contingent for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, which is scheduled to be held from 24 August till 5 September.
"Sending my best wishes and support to the Flag of India contingent at the Tokyo Paralympics. I am cheering for each one of you and I am sure you will make us proud," Kohli wrote on Twitter.
India will be fielding its biggest ever contingent at the Paralympic Games as a total of 54 para-athletes from across nine sports disciplines will participate at the Games.
The opening ceremony of the Games will take place later on Tuesday.
However, hours before the 4:30pm IST opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Indian flag-bearer Mariyappan Thangavelu is among the Indians who have been forced to go into quarantine after a co-passenger on their flight to Tokyo has tested positive.
Confirming the development, the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) issued a statement saying, "Thangavelu Mariyappan will not be part of India's opening ceremony today. He has been replaced by Tek Chand as the country's flag bearer. On his flight to Tokyo, Mariyappan came in close contact with a covid positive foreign passenger. Though on reaching the village he has been Tested for 6 days and all his reports are negative, but the Organizing Committee has advised not to make Mariyaapan participate in the Opening Ceremony today."
The Paralympic committee had earlier informed that five para-athletes and six officials from India would participate in the opening ceremony with discus thrower Vinod Kumar, javelin thrower Tek Chand and powerlifters Jaideep and Sakina Khatun included in the list.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)