Swati Chaudhary Secures Silver in Archery at Asian Para Games 2026
Swati Chaudhary Achieves Silver Medal in Archery
Indian para-archer Swati Chaudhary clinched the silver medal in the women's W1 individual archery event during the Asian Para Games 2026, narrowly losing to China's Mengkan Cen with a score of 4-6 in the final held on Thursday. This achievement marked India's 63rd medal in the ongoing games and the first for the country on Day 4, setting the stage for what is anticipated to be a day filled with more medals for the Indian team.
India's Medal Count Soars
Out of the 63 medals India has secured so far, the tally includes 14 gold, 22 silver, and 27 bronze. Swati was in contention for India's first gold in archery at this edition, having taken a 4-2 lead after three rounds. However, Cen made a remarkable comeback to win the final 6-4, leaving Chaudhary with the silver.
India's Performance on Day 3
On Day 3 of the Asian Para Games 2026, India improved its overall ranking from sixth to fifth. Indian athletes not only broke several Games records but also achieved personal bests, dominating all three medal positions in an event held in Aichi-Nagoya. The throwing arena was particularly impressive.
Men's Shot Put Clean Sweep
India achieved a remarkable feat by winning all three medals in the Men's Shot Put F46 category. Sachin Khilari secured gold with a Games Record throw of 15.79m on his first attempt, with all his throws surpassing 15m. Mohd Yasser earned silver with a season-best throw of 15.06m, while Praveen took bronze with a throw of 13.83m.
Success in Other Events
Ayush Verma won gold in the Men's Shot Put F53 with a throw of 8.16m. In the Women's Shot Put F34, Bhagyashri Jadhav claimed silver with a personal best of 8.19m, and Ravi Rongali secured bronze in the Men's Shot Put F40 with a throw of 10.02m.
Achievements in Javelin and Discus
Manjeet earned silver in the Men's Javelin Throw F13 with a career-best throw of 61.03m, while Sukhchian took bronze in the Men's Javelin Throw F55 with a throw of 29.94m. Karamjyoti also won bronze in the Women's Discus Throw F55 with a personal best of 21.60m. Haney secured bronze in the Men's Discus Throw F37 with a personal best of 57.04m, marking a significant improvement from India's seventh-place finish in the previous edition.
Record-Breaking Performances in Jumping Events
In the jumping events, India achieved a one-two finish in the Men's High Jump T44. Defending champion Praveen Kumar cleared a Games Record height of 2.05m to win gold, while Banti took silver with a personal best of 1.92m. Shailesh Kumar won bronze in the Men's Long Jump T42 with a Games Record jump of 5.57m, achieved on his fifth attempt.
Track Successes
On the track, Dilip Gavit Mahadu won gold in the Men's 100m T47 with a time of 10.69 seconds, while Mohammed Basil took silver in 10.72 seconds. Anubhav Choudhary earned bronze in the Men's 100m T35 with a personal best of 12.72 seconds, and Pranav Desai claimed bronze in the Men's 100m T64 with a time of 11.96 seconds.
Women's Doubles Archery Silver
In para archery, the duo of Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag secured silver in the Para Compound Women’s Doubles event, narrowly losing 141–150 to China's Xu Xueqing and Zhao Jing in a competitive final.