London, Sep 4 - India's para-athlete Girisha Hosanagara Nagarajegowda gave the country its first medal, a silver, from the Paralympic Games here by finishing second in the Men's High Jump F42.

The 24-year-old from Karnataka, who has an impairment in his left leg, gave his best shot to sail over a height of 1.74m using the scissors technique in the final of the category to win India's first medal in the presence of an 80,000-capacity crowd here Monday.

Girisha won the silver medal behind Iliesa Delana of Fiji who won the event with 1.74m. Lukasz Mamczarz of Poland took Bronze medal clearing height of 1.74m.

Although Delana finished on the same height of 1.74m as Girisha and Mamczarz, he won gold on the basis of taking less jumps.

Girisha is also only the third Indian after javelin thrower Bhimrao Kesarkar and shot put thrower Joginder Singh Bedi to claim silver at the Games. Kesarkar and Bedi won silver at the
1984 Paralympics.

Girisha's silver brought some cheer to the small Indian contingent after the disappointing show by shooter Naresh Sharma and swimmer Sharath Gayakwad. (IANS)