India's Para-Athletes Gear Up for a Thrilling Day at the Asian Para Games 2026
Exciting Competitions Await Indian Para-Athletes
On October 22, in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, India's para-athletes are poised for an action-packed day at the Asian Para Games 2026, with numerous medal events lined up in disciplines such as Para Badminton, Para Archery, Para Athletics, Shooting Para Sport, Para Swimming, Para Powerlifting, and Para Cycling.
The day kicks off at 5:30 AM with Thulasimathi Murugesan competing against China's Yang Quixia in the Women's Singles SU5 badminton final. Following this, at 5:55 AM, Pooja Jatyan and Bhawna Choudhary will face off against China's Wang Xueqian and Gao Zihan in the Recurve Women's Doubles gold medal match.
At 6:20 AM, Pramod Bhagat will take on Nitesh Kumar in the Men's Singles SL3 final, while Naveen Sivakumar will compete in the Men's Singles SL4 final at 7:00 AM, and Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan will participate in the Women's Singles SH6 final at 7:05 AM.
In the Para Archery segment, Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi will battle for gold in the Recurve Men's Doubles against China at 6:45 AM. Harvinder will also team up with Bhawna Choudhary for the Recurve Mixed Team semifinal at 9:20 AM, with a potential bronze medal match at 10:10 AM and the gold medal match at 10:35 AM, contingent on their qualification.
Para Athletics will showcase several Indian athletes vying for medals. Parmod Bijarnia is set to compete in the Men's 1500m T46 final at 6:17 AM, while Nimisha Suresh will participate in the Women's Long Jump T47 final at 6:30 AM.
Praveen Sharma will compete in the Men's Discus Throw F11 final at 6:35 AM, followed by Amisha Rawat in the Women's Shot Put F46 final at 7:25 AM. Ajay Kumar and Sandeep will race in the Men's 400m T64 final at 8:05 AM, while Haney is scheduled for the Men's Javelin Throw F37/38 final at 8:00 AM.
Shooting Para Sport will also be highlighted, with Nihal Singh and Amir Ahmad Bhat participating in the P3 Open 25m Pistol SH1 qualification events. They will engage in the precision stage at 6:15 AM and the rapid stage at 1:00 PM, with the final set for 2:30 PM if they qualify. Avani Lekhara and Mona Agarwal will compete in the R8 Women's 50m Rifle 3P SH1 qualification at 6:30 AM, with the final scheduled for 9:15 AM, pending qualification.
In Para Swimming, Chaitanya Kulkarni will swim in the Men's 400m Freestyle S6 heat at 6:44 AM and the Men's 50m Freestyle S6 heat at 7:35 AM. Abdul Quadir Indori will participate in the Men's 50m Backstroke S5 heat at 7:05 AM. Finals for these events are set for 1:49 PM and 2:02 PM, respectively, if the swimmers qualify. Ravi Karthik Budigina will compete in the Men's 200m Individual Medley SM13 final at 2:12 PM, while Himanshu Nandal will swim in the Men's 100m Freestyle S11 final at 2:50 PM.
India's Para Powerlifting team, including Kasthuri Rajamani, Suman Devi, and Jaspreet Kaur, will participate in the Women's Team Event, with heats starting at 11:00 AM. A head-to-head match is set for 11:50 AM, followed by the bronze medal match at 12:35 PM and the gold medal match at 12:50 PM, depending on their progress.
The afternoon will see more Indian athletes in action in Para Athletics and Para Swimming. Sharath Makanahalli is scheduled for the Men's 5000m T12/T13 final at 2:30 PM, while Ravi Rongali and Navdeep Singh will compete in the Men's Javelin Throw F40/41 final at 3:10 PM. Pranav Soorma, Dharambir Nain, and Amit Kumar Saroha will contest the Men's Club Throw F51 final at 3:30 PM. Sumit Antil, Sandip Sargar, and Mahendra Gurjar will compete in the Men's Javelin Throw F42-F44/F61-F64 final at 4:46 PM.
Para Badminton will return to the forefront at 3:00 PM, with Thulasimathi Murugesan and Nitesh Kumar facing Indonesia's Leani Oktila and Hikmat Ramdani in the Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5 final. Additionally, India's Para Cycling campaign will feature Arshad Shaikh in the Men's C1-3 Road Race final at 8:30 AM.
The day's events will conclude with Sandeep competing in the Men's 100m T44 final at 5:10 PM, provided he advances from the earlier rounds. With numerous opportunities for medals across various sports, India aims to enhance its performance through a busy schedule of finals and qualification events.