India Shines at Asian Para Games 2026 with Record Medal Count
India's Historic Performance at the Asian Para Games
Aichi-Nagoya, Japan - On October 24, Team India wrapped up their remarkable journey at the Asian Para Games with a spectacular closing ceremony held on Saturday.
The Indian contingent concluded the 2026 Asian Para Games with an impressive total of 114 medals, which included 30 gold, 35 silver, and 49 bronze. This achievement marks a significant improvement over their previous record of 108 medals in the 2022 edition, which comprised 27 gold, 32 silver, and 49 bronze medals.
Although India had initially secured 111 medals in the last edition, three were later revoked due to doping violations involving Neeraj Yadav and Parveen.
During the closing ceremony at Paloma Mizuho Stadium, the Indian athletes proudly waved small tricolors. Leading the contingent was Mona Agarwal, a double gold medalist in para-shooting, alongside co-flag-bearer Nishad Kumar.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Paralympic Committee of India (@paralympicsindia_official)
India's performance in Aichi-Nagoya was particularly impressive given that the team was smaller than in previous years, with only 168 para-athletes participating compared to 309 in Hangzhou.
Devendra Jhajharia, President of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), praised the athletes for their dedication and the support for para-sports in India. He stated, "Achieving 114 medals is a proud milestone for Indian para-sports, showcasing the commitment and determination of our athletes. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, para-sports have received remarkable support, inspiring our athletes to achieve historic results. We aim to continue this momentum and elevate Indian para-sports further."
In para-badminton, Nitesh Kumar, the reigning Paralympic champion, triumphed over fellow Indian Pramod Bhagat in the men's singles SL3 final, winning gold with scores of 21-18, 21-16. In women's doubles SL3-SU5, Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manasi Girishchandra Joshi defeated China's Qiuxia Yang and Zuxian Xiao to secure gold. Thulasimathi also earned silver in women's singles SU5, while Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan took silver in women's singles SH6 after losing to China's Fengmei Li.
In para-archery, Harvinder Singh and newcomer Vijay Sundi clinched gold in men's recurve doubles, while Pooja Jatyan and Bhawna Choudhary brought home silver in women's recurve doubles, marking India's first medal in this event at the Asian Para Games.
India's para-athletes excelled in track and field as well, with Haney winning gold in men's javelin throw F37/38, setting a world record with a throw of 60.49 meters. Debutant Sandeep also secured gold in men's 400m T64, clocking 52.28 seconds and setting a world record in the T44 category. Ajay Kumar added a bronze in the same event.
India dominated the men's javelin throw F42-F44/F61-F64 final, sweeping all three medals. Sumit won gold in the T64 category with a throw of 72.46 meters, while Mahendra Gurjar and Sandip Sanjay Sargar secured silver and bronze, respectively.
In men's club throw F51, Pranav Soorma achieved gold with a Games-record throw of 32.87 meters. Navdeep Singh and Rakeshbhai Bhatt also earned bronze medals in their respective events.
In para-shooting, Mona Agarwal made history by winning gold in women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1, setting both world and Asian Para Games records. She became the first Indian para-shooter to medal in this event.
The para-table tennis team added a bronze through Jehan Dorab Madan and Shubham Wadhwa in men's doubles Class MD4. At 50, Madan became the oldest member of the Indian contingent to win a medal at the 2026 Games. In para-swimming, Himanshu Nandal secured bronze in men's 100m freestyle S11.
India's participation was marked by numerous record-breaking performances across various sports, highlighting the depth and talent of the country's para-athletes.