Nagoya, Oct 22: Indian athletes continued their impressive campaign at the Asian Para Games on Thursday, with Suvarna Raj winning gold in the women’s F54 discus throw, Swati Chaudhary claiming silver in para archery and Indian shuttlers securing places in badminton finals.
The performances highlighted India’s strength across several para sport disciplines at the continental competition in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Alongside the medals, the badminton contingent recorded important semifinal victories, keeping the country’s hopes alive for further gold-medal finishes.
Suvarna Raj delivered one of the day’s standout performances by winning the women’s F54 discus throw with a best effort of 15.66 metres. Her winning mark came in the fifth round of attempts, following a consistent series in which she recorded four throws beyond the 15-metre mark.
Iran’s Shahla Hadidi finished second with a throw of 15.45 metres, while Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Ngoc Thuy secured bronze with 14.65 metres.
Raj’s performance added another gold to India’s campaign and underlined the contribution of para-athletics to the country’s overall medal tally. Her consistency across the competition proved decisive in a closely contested event, where the difference between the top two athletes was just 21 centimetres.
The discus victory was accompanied by an important achievement in archery, where Swati Chaudhary secured silver in the women’s W1 individual event. She faced China’s Cen Mengkan in the final and narrowly missed the gold medal after a competitive contest that ended 6-4 in favour of the Chinese archer.
Chaudhary initially appeared well placed to win the title, establishing a 4-2 lead after three ends. However, Cen responded strongly in the closing stages to turn the contest around and secure the gold.
Despite the defeat, Chaudhary’s performance was significant for Indian para-archery. Her silver marked India’s first-ever medal in the women’s W1 archery category at the Asian Para Games, establishing a milestone for the country’s representation in the discipline.
The result also demonstrated the competitive standard of the event, with Chaudhary pushing the eventual champion through a closely fought final rather than allowing the contest to become one-sided.
India’s para-badminton players added to the day’s achievements by reaching major finals and collecting several bronze medals. Thulasimathi Murugesan and Nitesh Kumar defeated China’s Li Mingpan and Xiao Zuxian in the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 semifinal, winning 21-19, 14-21, 21-17 in a 42-minute encounter.
The Indian pair began strongly, taking the opening game before their Chinese opponents levelled the match. The deciding game then became crucial, requiring the Indian duo to recover their rhythm and limit unforced errors.
Murugesan and Nitesh managed that challenge, producing a stronger finish to claim the semifinal and book their place in the gold-medal match. Their performance demonstrated the importance of maintaining concentration through changes in momentum, particularly in a three-game contest.
Nitesh said the pair’s familiarity with their opponents had helped them prepare tactically, although lapses in concentration had contributed to errors during the match. He added that regaining their rhythm at the start of the deciding game gave them confidence during the closing stages.
Murugesan also stressed the importance of remaining focused on the next match, indicating that the semifinal victory was only one step towards their ultimate objective.
The pair’s progress offered India an opportunity to secure another title in para-badminton. Their next opponents were Indonesia’s Leani Ratri Oktila and Hikmat Ramdani, who defeated India’s Manisha Ramadass and Pramod Bhagat in the other semifinal.
Ramadass and Bhagat had taken the first game 21-16 but could not maintain their advantage, losing the next two games 13-21 and 17-21. The Indonesian combination recovered effectively, leaving the Indian pair with bronze medals.
Although the defeat ended their mixed doubles gold-medal hopes, the Indian players remained competitive throughout a match that turned on a few crucial points. Their performance reflected the narrow margins separating the leading pairs at the Games.
India also secured a place in the men’s singles SL4 final through Naveen Sivakumar, who defeated compatriot Abhijeet Sakhuja 21-13, 21-15 in the semifinal. Naveen’s controlled performance enabled him to progress to the title match, while Sakhuja finished with a bronze medal.
Naveen said reaching the final at his first Asian Games was a proud moment. He explained that he had focused on improving his starts, an area that had previously troubled him, and felt that beginning strongly had helped him control the semifinal.
Other Indian para-shuttlers also secured medals. Sanjana Kumari won bronze in the women’s singles SL3 competition after losing to Japan’s Shino Kawai 7-21, 9-21. Tokyo Paralympics silver medallist Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj earned bronze in men’s singles SL4 after a three-game defeat to Indonesia’s Fredy Setiawan.
Yathiraj won the second game convincingly but could not maintain the momentum in the decider, going down 21-23, 21-8, 15-21. He expressed disappointment at missing the final while acknowledging the importance of adding another medal to India’s record at major international competitions.
Krishna Nagar and Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan also finished with bronze in mixed doubles SH6 after losing 14-21, 18-21 to Indonesia’s Rina Marlina and Subhan.
The day’s results demonstrated the depth of India’s para badminton programme, with athletes reaching finals in different classifications while others added to the medal count through semifinal finishes.
Para-badminton events feature classifications designed to ensure fair competition among athletes with different impairments. SL3 is intended for players with significant lower-limb impairments who compete on a half court, while SU5 covers athletes with upper-limb impairments. SL4 is for players with comparatively less impairment affecting movement and balance, and SH6 includes athletes of short stature.
These classifications allow athletes to compete against opponents with comparable functional abilities, helping ensure that results reflect sporting skill and performance.
For India, the combination of Raj’s gold, Chaudhary’s historic silver and the badminton team’s progress represented a productive day across multiple disciplines. The achievements also illustrated the value of sustained preparation and competition experience at international events.
The medal performances were supported by strong individual efforts, but the badminton results particularly highlighted the importance of partnerships and tactical adaptability. Murugesan and Nitesh responded effectively after losing the second game, while Naveen demonstrated composure in a contest against another Indian athlete.
The Asian Para Games provide an important platform for athletes to test themselves against the continent’s leading competitors and build experience for future international championships. For emerging finalists, the event also offers an opportunity to convert promising performances into major titles.
As the competition continues, India will look to build on its results in athletics, archery and badminton while pursuing further podium finishes. The performances in Nagoya have already added notable achievements to the country’s campaign, including a first medal in a specific archery category and multiple opportunities to compete for badminton gold.
Thursday’s events reinforced the breadth of India’s para-sport participation, with athletes delivering results in both individual and team based competitions. The focus will now shift to the remaining finals, where the Indian contingent will seek to turn its strong qualifying performances into further medals.