India Open Asian Para Games Campaign with Four Gold Medals, 11-Podium Finish

NAGOYA, Oct 19: India made an impressive start to its campaign at the 2026 Asian Para Games, securing 11 medals, including four gold, five silver and two bronze, on the opening day of competition in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Strong performances in para-athletics, shooting, swimming and judo helped the Indian contingent establish an early presence in the continental sporting event.

The opening-day medal haul reflected India’s growing depth across para-sports, with established international performers and athletes competing in multiple disciplines contributing to the team’s success. India finished the day in fourth place in the overall medal standings, behind China, Japan and Uzbekistan, according to the reported standings.

The gold-medal winners were Nishad Kumar in men’s long jump T47, Mona Agarwal in women’s 10-metre air rifle standing SH1, Soumya in women’s 1,500 metres T12/T13 and Rinku in men’s javelin throw F46. Their performances provided India with a strong foundation as competition continued on Tuesday.

Nishad Kumar wins gold in long jump debut

Nishad Kumar produced one of the day’s standout performances by winning gold in the men’s long jump T47 event with a best effort of 7.11 metres. Known primarily for his achievements in high jump, the Indian athlete demonstrated his versatility by taking the top position in a major international long-jump competition.

Nishad opened with a jump of 6.95 metres and improved his distance in subsequent attempts. His performance proved difficult for the rest of the field to match. Uzbekistan’s Omadbek Khasanov finished second with 6.99 metres, while Sri Lanka’s Mohammadu Safran secured bronze with 6.55 metres.

The result highlighted Nishad’s ability to adapt to a different discipline while maintaining his competitive edge. His experience at the highest level of para-athletics provided a strong platform for the transition, although the long jump presents different technical demands from the high jump in which he has made his name.

Nishad’s victory was particularly significant because it demonstrated the potential of Indian para-athletes to explore new events without losing sight of their established strengths. His success also added an important athletics title to India’s early medal tally.

Mona Agarwal leads Indian shooting one-two finish

Mona Agarwal delivered another major result for India by winning gold in the women’s 10-metre air rifle standing SH1 event. She scored 250 points in the final, edging compatriot Avani Lekhara, who finished with 249.6 points, by a narrow margin.

The contest produced a memorable one-two finish for India, with both shooters demonstrating accuracy and composure under pressure. Mona’s performance set an Asian Para Games record, adding further significance to her victory.

Avani’s silver medal also underlined her continued competitiveness at the international level. The close margin between the two Indian athletes showed how small differences in execution can determine the outcome in precision shooting.

The result gave India an early boost in a discipline in which concentration, consistency and control are crucial. It also provided a positive start for the country’s shooting contingent, which entered the competition seeking podium finishes across several events.

Athletics contributes heavily to India’s medal tally

India’s success extended beyond the long jump and shooting range. Soumya won gold in the women’s 1,500 metres T12/T13 event, finishing in 5 minutes 12.39 seconds with guide Bharat Kumar. Radha Venkatesh secured silver in the same race after recording 5 minutes 30.90 seconds, giving India two places on the podium.

Rinku won the men’s javelin throw F46 title with a best effort of 65.11 metres. Fellow Indian Ajeet Singh claimed silver with 65.02 metres, making the event another contest in which the country’s athletes occupied the top two positions.

The close competition between Rinku and Ajeet highlighted the depth of India’s throwing squad. Rinku’s decisive final effort proved sufficient to secure gold, while Ajeet’s consistent performance earned him a place alongside his teammate on the podium.

Ravanni Valasanaini added a bronze medal in the women’s 1,500 metres T11 event. Her podium finish further strengthened India’s athletics contribution and helped make the discipline a central part of the country’s opening-day success.

Taken together, the results demonstrated the breadth of India’s medal challenge, spanning middle-distance running, jumping and throwing events. The contingent’s performance also offered encouragement ahead of the remaining athletics programme.

Judo and swimming add to the medal count

India’s campaign also received valuable contributions from para-judo and para-swimming.

Kokila won silver in the women’s J2 under-52kg judo category after reaching the final. She had defeated China’s Yi Liu in the semifinal, producing a notable performance against the reigning world champion before losing the gold-medal bout to Kyrgyzstan’s Aibike Ulanbek Kyzy.

Kokila’s result represented an improvement on her bronze medal at the previous Asian Para Games in Hangzhou. Her run through the competition demonstrated the progress she has made in the sport and added another podium finish to India’s opening day.

Kapil Parmar secured bronze in the men’s J1 under-70kg category. The Indian judoka recovered from a semifinal defeat to win his bronze-medal contest against Indonesia’s Rafli Ahnaf Shidqi.

In the swimming pool, Ravi Karthik Budigina earned silver in the men’s 100-metre freestyle S13 event, clocking 56.68 seconds. His performance provided India with another medal from outside athletics and shooting.

The results across these disciplines showed the importance of a broad-based team effort rather than dependence on a small group of leading competitors.

Sheetal Devi produces a landmark archery performance

Para-archer Sheetal Devi also attracted attention after equalling the world record in the women’s compound qualification round with a score of 704 out of 720. The performance established an Asian record and reinforced her position among India’s leading para-archers.

Sheetal and Rakesh Kumar also set a world record in the mixed-team event, according to the reported competition updates. Their achievement provided another significant moment for the Indian contingent, even as the medal events continued across the host venues.

Her qualification performance underlined the technical precision and consistency required in compound archery, where small differences in scoring can influence rankings and subsequent elimination rounds.

India also advanced several athletes in para table tennis and para badminton. Bhavina Patel, Sonalben Patel and Prachi Pandey reached their respective women’s singles semifinals in table tennis, assuring themselves of medals. In badminton, Nitesh Kumar and Thulasimathi Murugesan advanced to the mixed-doubles semifinals in the SL3-SU5 category.

These results offered the prospect of further additions to India’s medal tally as the competition progressed.

India targets continued momentum

China led the overall medal standings after the opening day, with Japan and Uzbekistan also ahead of India. However, India’s four gold medals and 11 total podium finishes placed the team in a promising position early in the tournament.

The schedule for October 20 features additional opportunities in para-athletics, archery, shooting, swimming, judo, powerlifting, badminton and table tennis. Several Indian athletes are expected to remain in contention for medals, including established performers and competitors advancing through preliminary rounds.

For India, the next challenge will be to convert early momentum into sustained performances across the remaining programme. Maintaining consistency, managing competition-day pressure and delivering in medal rounds will be essential as athletes face opponents from across Asia.

The opening day has nevertheless provided encouraging evidence of the country’s competitiveness in multiple para-sports. With experienced medallists and emerging performers contributing to the campaign, India will seek to build on its strong start and improve its position in the overall standings as the Games continue.