HISTORY has been rewritten in Aichi-Nagoya. India’s para-athletes have officially concluded their campaign at the Asian Para Games with a monumental performance, securing an unprecedented 114 medals to set a new benchmark for the nation on the continental stage.
The final day of competition served as the perfect crescendo, with the Indian contingent capturing nine gold medals—the largest single-day haul of the entire tournament—to cement their place in history. With a final tally of 30 gold, 35 silver, and 49 bronze, India soundly surpassed the 108-medal record established just three years ago in Hangzhou. This achievement is even more staggering when considering the logistics: India achieved this feat with a compact squad of just 168 athletes, nearly half the size of the team sent to the previous edition.
Athletics, badminton lead India’s gold rush
While athletics has long been the backbone of India’s para-sports dominance—accounting for a staggering 65 medals in this outing alone—Friday’s action highlighted the remarkable depth of talent across multiple disciplines.
The track and field arena saw veteran prowess meet new breakthroughs. Star javelin thrower Sumit Antil, the reigning Paralympic and world champion, delivered a masterclass in the men’s F42-44/61-64 combined event. His commanding throw of 72.46m led a clean sweep of the podium for India, with teammates Mahendra Gurjar taking silver and Sandip Sanjay Sargar claiming bronze.
The records continued to tumble elsewhere on the track. Pranav Soorma successfully defended his men’s club throw F51 title with a new Games-record effort of 32.87m. Meanwhile, sprinter Sandeep captured the spotlight in the men’s 400m T64, clocking an incredible world-record time of 52.28 seconds. Haney added to the historic day by shattering another world record in the men’s javelin F37/38, launching his implement to a distance of 60.49m to secure gold.
Shuttlers deliver three golds
India’s badminton squad proved they are among the best in the world, bringing home three gold medals on the final day of play. The men’s singles SL3 final was an all-Indian affair, with Paris Paralympic champion Nitesh Kumar prevailing over Tokyo Paralympic gold medallist Pramod Bhagat in a hard-fought 21-18, 21-16 contest.
The momentum continued with debutant Naveen Sivakumar, who showcased remarkable composure to dismantle Indonesia’s Fredy Setiawan 21-9, 21-17 to claim the men’s singles SL4 title. Perhaps the most poignant moment for the badminton team came in the women’s doubles SL3-SU5 final, where the pairing of Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manasi Joshi dominated China’s Yang Qiuxia and Xiao Zuxian in straight sets, 21-16, 21-13. Thulasimathi capped off a dream tournament, leaving Japan with a massive three-medal haul, including a silver in the women’s singles SU5.
Mona breaks world record, Harvinder wins archery gold
Shooting and archery added their own golden chapters to the history books. Mona Agarwal, already a standout performer, cemented her status as a global force by shattering the world record to win the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 title. With a score of 357.5 points, she secured her second gold of these Games, following her record-breaking win in the 10m air rifle standing SH1 earlier in the week. Having already clinched an early quota for the 2028 Paralympics, Agarwal is undeniably the rising star of Indian shooting.
On the archery range, Paralympic hero Harvinder Singh reaffirmed his dominance. Teaming up with debutant Vijay Sundi, Singh navigated the high-pressure men’s recurve doubles final with surgical precision, defeating China 5-1 to take home the gold. While the women’s duo of Bhawna Choudhary and Pooja Jatyan settled for a hard-earned silver, the overall performance of the archery contingent provided a significant boost to India’s final medal tally.
Swimming contingent exceeds expectations
Perhaps the most heartening story of the Games was the emergence of the swimming team. Entering the tournament with more modest ambitions, the swimmers delivered 11 medals, consistently punching above their weight against international giants like Japan and China.
A major highlight was the consistency of Himanshu Nandal. The 22-year-old, who has overcome the challenges of optic nerve failure, completed a hat-trick of bronze medals by finishing third in the men’s 100m freestyle S11. Nandal’s persistence, combined with the efforts of Ravi Budigina—who walked away with two silvers and a bronze—marked a coming-of-age moment for Indian para-swimming.
As the curtain falls on these Asian Para Games, the message is clear: India has evolved from a participant nation into a powerhouse of adaptive sports. By outperforming their previous bests with a smaller, more focused group, these athletes have not only captured medals but have captured the imagination of a nation. With the momentum from Aichi-Nagoya, the trajectory for Indian para-athletics heading into future global competitions has never looked brighter.
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