New Delhi: India delivered its best-ever performance at the Asian Para Games 2026, finishing the competition with a record 114 medals as Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the contingent for its historic achievement.
India’s medal tally included 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze medals, with athletes producing outstanding performances across para-athletics, badminton, archery, shooting, table tennis and swimming.
In a post on X, Modi described the achievement as a moment of immense pride and joy for the country. He praised the determination of the athletes and said their performances had inspired countless Indians.
“What an extraordinary achievement by our para-athletes at the just concluded Asian Para Games 2026! With a record 114 medals, this marks India’s best-ever performance at the Games,” the Prime Minister wrote.
He congratulated every member of the contingent, acknowledging their contribution to the milestone.
India Surpasses Previous Asian Para Games Medal Record
India’s 114-medal finish surpassed its previous tally of 108 medals at the preceding edition, comprising 27 gold, 32 silver and 49 bronze.
The earlier edition’s final total was revised after three medals were stripped following doping-related charges involving Indian athletes Neeraj Yadav and Parveen.
India also achieved the latest milestone with a significantly smaller contingent. A total of 168 Indian para-athletes competed at the 2026 Games in Aichi-Nagoya, compared with 309 athletes who represented the country at Hangzhou.
The campaign featured world-record performances, historic podium finishes and multiple medals across disciplines, highlighting the strength of India’s para-sport programme.
Nitesh Kumar Leads India’s Para-Badminton Success
India enjoyed several memorable results in para-badminton. Reigning Paralympic champion Nitesh Kumar defeated compatriot and reigning world champion Pramod Bhagat 21-18, 21-16 in the men’s singles SL3 final to win gold. Bhagat took silver, completing an all-Indian finish.
In the women’s doubles SL3-SU5 final, Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manasi Girishchandra Joshi defeated China’s Qiuxia Yang and Zuxian Xiao 21-16, 21-13 to secure gold.
Thulasimathi also claimed silver in women’s singles SU5, while Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan won silver in women’s singles SH6 after losing to China’s Fengmei Li.
Para-Archers And Athletes Set Records
India’s para-archers Harvinder Singh and debutant Vijay Sundi won gold in the men’s recurve doubles event. Pooja Jatyan and Bhawna Choudhary secured silver in women’s recurve doubles, earning India its first medal in that event at the Asian Para Games.
Track and field events also delivered several landmark results.
Haney won gold in the men’s javelin throw F37/38 with an effort of 60.49 metres, setting a world record in the T37 category.
Debutant Sandeep secured gold in the men’s 400m T64 in 52.28 seconds, setting a world record in the T44 category. Ajay Kumar added bronze in the same event.
India also swept all three medals in the men’s javelin throw F42-F44/F61-F64 final. Sumit claimed gold with a throw of 72.46 metres and 1,112 points, while Mahendra Gurjar and Sandip Sanjay Sargar won silver and bronze, respectively.
In the men’s club throw F51, Pranav Soorma won gold with a Games-record effort of 32.87 metres. Dharambir took bronze.
Navdeep Singh and Rakeshbhai Bhatt added bronze medals in javelin throw and the 200m, respectively. Sandeep also won bronze in the men’s 100m T44, finishing his campaign with one gold, one bronze and a world record.
Mona Agarwal Creates Para-Shooting Milestone
Mona Agarwal won gold in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 event with a score of 357.5, setting world and Asian Para Games records.
Her victory also made her the first Indian para-shooter to win a medal in the event at the Asian Para Games.
India collected additional medals in other disciplines. Jehan Dorab Madan and Shubham Wadhwa secured bronze in men’s doubles Class MD4 in para-table tennis. At 50, Madan became the oldest member of India’s contingent to win a medal at the 2026 edition.
In para-swimming, Himanshu Nandal won bronze in the men’s 100m freestyle S11 with a time of 1:05.90, taking his overall tally at the Games to three bronze medals.
India’s final tally of 114 medals, including 30 gold, reflects a landmark campaign for the country’s para-athletes. Modi’s congratulatory message acknowledged the contingent’s achievement and the inspiration its performances have provided to people across the country.
