India Aims for More Medals on Day 2 of 2026 Asian Para Games
Strong Start for Indian Para-Athletes
Following a successful opening day at the 2026 Asian Para Games, where they secured 11 medals, Indian para-athletes are set to continue their impressive performance on Day 2 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The Indian team currently holds the fourth position in the overall medal tally, having achieved four gold, five silver, and two bronze medals. The athletes are eager to enhance their medal count as they participate in various events including para athletics, para swimming, para shooting, para table tennis, para powerlifting, and para archery.
Para Athletics Highlights
Nishad Kumar, a two-time Paralympic silver medalist, will be a key figure in the para athletics segment, competing in the men's high jump T45/T46/T47 final at 4:05 PM IST. He previously won gold in the men's long jump T47 event. Other notable competitors include Preeti Pal in the women's 200m T35 final at 3:23 PM IST, and Ayush Verma and Pradeep Kumar in the men's javelin throw F53/F54 final at 5:40 AM IST. The day will also feature events for Rakesh Bhai Bhatt, Praveen Sharma, and Deepthi Jeevanji among others.
Para Swimming Events
In the para swimming category, Ravi Veera Venkata Bhavan Budigina will compete in the men's 400m freestyle S13 final at 1:30 PM IST, while Himanshu Nandal will swim in the men's 400m freestyle S11 final at 1:39 PM IST. Suyash Narayan Jadhav and Niranjan Mukundan will participate in the men's 200m individual medley SM7 final at 3:32 PM IST, and Devanshi Satija will compete in the women's 100m backstroke S10 final at 4:06 PM IST.
Para Shooting and Table Tennis
The para shooting events will feature Manish Narwal, Nihal Singh, and Rudransh Khandelwal in the men's P1 10m air pistol SH1 event, with qualification at 6:30 AM IST and the final at 8:40 AM IST. In women's P2 10m air pistol SH1, Bhakti Sharma and others will compete, with similar timings. Meanwhile, para table tennis will see Sonalben Patel, Bhavinaben Patel, and others in their respective women's singles semifinals, with gold medal matches set for 11:30 AM IST.
Other Events and Competitions
In para powerlifting, Ashok will compete in the men's up to 65kg final at 8:30 AM IST, while Jhandu Kumar will participate in the men's up to 72kg final at 1:00 PM IST. The para archery events will feature several Indian athletes, including Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi, starting with the round of 16 at 4:45 AM IST. Additionally, India will face Iran in men's blind football at 11:30 AM IST, and Renuka Narayan Salve will compete in the women's J1 -70kg quarterfinal in para judo at 6:30 AM IST.
Boccia and Para Cycling
Anjali Devi will participate in her pool matches for the individual BC3 women's boccia event at 8:10 AM and 2:15 PM IST. In para cycling, Arshad Shaik will compete in the men's 1000m time trial qualifying round at 8:30 AM IST, with the final scheduled for 12:26 PM IST, contingent on qualification.
Looking Ahead
With a packed schedule of medal events and numerous established athletes in action, India is poised to maintain its momentum and improve its standing as the competition unfolds.