New Delhi [India], November 5 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met and interacted with members of the Indian contingent that participated in the Asian Para Games 2026 in Japan, congratulating the para-athletes for their historic performance and record medal haul of 114 medals.
The interaction was held at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi, where Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also joined the Prime Minister in meeting the athletes and acknowledging their achievements.
India concluded its campaign at the Asian Para Games 2026 with a record haul of 114 medals, including 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze, as the country's para-athletes delivered world-record performances, historic victories and podium sweeps across multiple disciplines.
The achievement marked India's best-ever performance at the continental sporting event, surpassing its previous medal tally of 108 from the last edition, which comprised 27 gold, 32 silver and 49 bronze medals. India had initially secured 111 medals at the previous edition, but three medals were subsequently stripped following doping-related action against Neeraj Yadav and Parveen.
Last month, in a post on X, PM Modi had also praised the athletes for their determination and exceptional performances, saying each member of the contingent had contributed to the historic achievement and 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. This is an occasion of immense pride and joy for the entire nation! I congratulate every member of our contingent for their exceptional determination. Each athlete has contributed to this historic achievement and inspired countless Indians with their accomplishments,” he had said in an X post.
India's performance at Aichi-Nagoya exceeded expectations, particularly as the contingent was significantly smaller than the one that competed in the previous edition. A total of 168 para-athletes represented India at the 2026 Games, compared to 309 athletes at Hangzhou.
Among the standout performances, India's para-badminton contingent delivered several memorable results. 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 clinch gold, while Bhagat settled for silver, ensuring an all-Indian finish.
In women's doubles SL3-SU5, Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manasi Girishchandra Joshi defeated China's Qiuxia Yang and Zuxian Xiao 21-16, 21-13 to claim gold. Thulasimathi also won silver in women's singles SU5, while Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan secured silver in women's singles SH6 after losing to China's Fengmei Li.
Para-archers Harvinder Singh and debutant Vijay Sundi won gold in men's recurve doubles, while Pooja Jatyan and Bhawna Choudhary secured silver in women's recurve doubles, earning India its first-ever medal in the event at the Asian Para Games.
India's para-athletes also produced outstanding performances in track and field events. 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 clinched 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 with a time of 53.61 seconds.
India also swept all three medals in the men's javelin throw F42-F44/F61-F64 final. Sumit won gold in the T64 category with a throw of 72.46 metres and 1,112 points. Mahendra Gurjar secured silver with a Games-record effort of 59.03 metres in the T42 category, while Sandip Sanjay Sargar claimed bronze with a Games-record throw of 64.48 metres in the T44 category.
In men's club throw F51, Pranav Soorma won gold with a Games-record throw of 32.87 metres, surpassing the previous mark of 29.47 metres. Dharambir took bronze with an effort of 27.71 metres.
Navdeep Singh secured bronze in the men's javelin throw F40/41 with a throw of 42.55 metres, while Rakeshbhai Bhatt won bronze in the men's 200m T37 in 25.02 seconds. Sandeep also claimed bronze in the men's 100m T44 in 11.67 seconds, finishing his campaign with one gold, one bronze and a world record.
In para-shooting, Mona Agarwal won gold in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 with a score of 357.5, setting world and Asian Para Games records. She also became the first Indian para-shooter to win a medal in the event at the Asian Para Games.
India's para-table tennis contingent added a bronze through Jehan Dorab Madan and Shubham Wadhwa in men's doubles Class MD4. At 50, Madan became the oldest member of the Indian contingent to win a medal at the 2026 edition.
In para-swimming, Himanshu Nandal secured bronze in men's 100m freestyle S11 with a time of 1:05.90, taking his medal tally at the Games to three bronze medals.
India's campaign featured multiple record-breaking performances and landmark results across para-athletics, para-badminton, para-archery, shooting, table tennis and swimming, underlining the depth of the country's contingent.
With 114 medals, including 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze, India registered its best-ever performance at the Asian Para Games. (ANI)
PM Modi interacts with Indian para-athletes after historic 114-medal haul at Asian Para Games 2026
