India’s 114-medal haul at Para Asian Games deserves greater recognition

• India wins a record 114 medals, including 30 gold, at the Para Asian Games.

• Standout performances across athletics, badminton and shooting underline the depth of India’s para-sport talent.

• The results raise expectations for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics.

The record 114-medal haul by India at the Para Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, one feels, needs to be celebrated more. Not only does it improve on the haul from three years ago in Hangzhou, but it also reflects an impressive rise from the 14 medals won in the inaugural edition in 2010.

The exponential rise has also been reflected in the Indian para-athletes’ campaigns at the last two editions of the Paralympics, in Tokyo in 2020 and Paris in 2024. The contingent’s performance in Tokyo marked a giant leap, with the medal tally rising from four in Rio in 2016 to 19 in Tokyo and 29 in Paris in 2024 — raising expectations of further progress in two years’ time in Los Angeles.

Devendra Jhajharia, the country’s first multiple gold medallist at the Paralympics and currently the president of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), agrees that expectations will certainly rise for the next Paralympics, as India has now established itself as a potential contender. A breakdown of the medals — 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze — coupled with a contingent that was nearly half the size of the one in Hangzhou (168 against 309) reflects an impressive medal-to-athlete ratio.

Speaking to National Herald about what contributed to this improvement in the ratio, Jhajharia said: “Crossing the 100-medal mark in back-to-back Games is a testament to the dedication, courage and determination of our athletes. We remain determined to build on this momentum and take Indian para sports to even greater heights in LA 2028.”

What really stood out in the Indian contingent’s performance this time? The Paralympics has, over the last decade or so, created its own stars in India, such as javelin’s golden boy Sumit Antil and shooter Avani Lekhara. But what was exceptional this time in Japan were the landmark results across athletics, badminton, archery, shooting, swimming and table tennis. 

India swept the podium in the men’s javelin F42-F44/F61-F64 final. Sumit proved unbeatable, retaining his gold medal with a throw of 72.46 metres. Mahendra Gurjar and Sandip Sanjay Sargar followed, with throws of 59.03 metres and 64.48 metres, respectively, setting Games records in their classifications. Meanwhile, Haney won the men’s javelin F37/38 title with a throw of 60.49 metres, setting a world record in his classification.

There were several newsmakers among the debutants as well, including Sandeep, who won the men’s 400m T64 event in 52.28 seconds, setting a T44 world record in the process. Sandeep also secured bronze in the men’s 100m T44, clocking 11.67 seconds.

Pranav Soorma added gold in the men’s club throw F51 with a Games-record throw of 32.87 metres, while Dharambir took bronze with 27.71 metres. Navdeep Singh won bronze in the men’s javelin F40/41, while Rakeshbhai Bhatt finished third in the men’s 200m T37.

Meanwhile, reigning Paralympic champion Nitesh Kumar defeated compatriot and senior pro Pramod Bhagat 21-18, 21-16 in the men’s singles SL3 final to give India a one-two finish.

Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manasi Girishchandra Joshi won the women’s doubles SL3-SU5 title, beating China’s Qiuxia Yang and Zuxian Xiao 21-16, 21-13. Thulasimathi also claimed silver in the women’s singles SU5, while Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan added silver in the women’s singles SH6, finishing runner-up to China’s Fengmei Li.

Mona Agarwal delivered another milestone in shooting, winning gold in the women’s 50m rifle three positions SH1 event with 357.5 points. Her performance set world and Games records and made her the first Indian para-shooter to win a medal in the event at the Games.

114 medals: How did it happen?

Para Athletics: 65 medals (22 Gold, 19 Silver, 24 Bronze)

Para Badminton: 16 medals (3 Gold, 5 Silver, 8 Bronze)

Para Swimming: 11 medals

Para Table Tennis: 7 medals

Para Archery: 6 medals

Para Shooting: 5 medals

Para Judo: 2 medals

Para Powerlifting: 2 medals