Nagoya, Oct 21:
India’s para-athletes delivered an impressive performance at the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, winning five gold medals in athletics on Tuesday and taking the country’s overall medal tally to 35 at the end of the second day of competition.
India’s tally stood at nine gold, 11 silver and 15 bronze medals, placing the country sixth in the standings. The athletics contingent led the charge, with Nishad Kumar emerging as one of the day’s outstanding performers. He won the men’s high jump T47 gold with a Games-record clearance of 2.04 metres. Having already secured the long jump T47 gold on Monday, Nishad became only the third Indian to win gold medals in two events at a single edition of the Para Asian Games.
Deepthi Jeevanji successfully defended her women’s 400m T20 title, clocking a Games-record 56.36 seconds. Simran added another gold by winning the women’s 200m T12 event in 24.80 seconds, also setting a Games record. Pranav Soorma and Devender Kumar completed India’s five-gold haul with victories in their respective discus throw events. Their performances highlighted the depth of India’s athletics programme and the growing competitiveness of its para-athletes at the continental level.
India also collected medals in shooting, powerlifting, swimming and para table tennis, adding to the gains made on the opening day. With archery finals and several other medal events still to come, the Indian contingent will look to improve its position in the standings. The strong start has provided encouragement for the team, with record-breaking performances and multiple podium finishes demonstrating the country’s growing strength across para-sport disciplines.