Asian Para Games 2026: India set records, make history with 114 medals despite smaller contingent

India wrapped up its campaign at the Asian Para Games 2026 with a record 114 medals, including 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze, delivering a series of world-record performances, historic milestones and podium sweeps across multiple disciplines.

India surpassed its previous edition’s tally of 108 medals, comprising 27 gold, 32 silver and 49 bronze. The country had initially won 111 medals at the Hangzhou Games, but three were subsequently stripped following doping charges against Neeraj Yadav and Parveen.

The achievement in Aichi-Nagoya was particularly significant as India fielded a much smaller contingent than at the previous edition. A total of 168 para-athletes represented the country in 2026, compared with 309 at Hangzhou.

Paralympic Committee of India president Devendra Jhajharia described India’s crossing of the 100-medal mark as a proud moment for the country’s para-sports movement, crediting the athletes’ determination and the support extended to the sector.

“Crossing the 100-medal mark and reaching 114 medals is a proud moment for Indian para-sports and a testament to the dedication, courage and determination of our athletes. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, para-sports in India has received unprecedented encouragement, recognition and support. His commitment to empowering our para-athletes has inspired the entire sporting ecosystem to work collectively towards excellence. Our athletes are translating this support into historic performances, and we remain determined to build on this momentum and take Indian para-sports to even greater heights,” Jhajharia said.

India’s para-athletes produced an impressive series of performances on the track and in the field, with multiple world and Games records highlighting the country’s campaign.

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 secured a clean sweep of the 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 took 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 the men’s club throw F51, Pranav Soorma won gold with a Games-record effort of 32.87 metres, improving on the previous mark of 29.47 metres. Dharambir secured bronze with a throw of 27.71 metres.

Navdeep Singh added bronze in the men’s javelin throw F40/41 with a throw of 42.55 metres, while Rakeshbhai Bhatt finished third in the men’s 200m T37 in 25.02 seconds.

Sandeep also won bronze in the men’s 100m T44 in 11.67 seconds, ending his campaign with one gold, one bronze and a world record.

India’s para-badminton players delivered several standout performances, led by reigning Paralympic champion Nitesh Kumar, who defeated compatriot and reigning world champion Pramod Bhagat 21-18, 21-16 in the men’s singles SL3 final to claim gold. Bhagat took silver, ensuring an all-Indian finish.

Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manasi Girishchandra Joshi won gold in women’s doubles SL3-SU5 after beating China’s Qiuxia Yang and Zuxian Xiao 21-16, 21-13.

Thulasimathi added a silver medal in women’s singles SU5, while Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan secured silver in women’s singles SH6 after losing to China’s Fengmei Li.

Harvinder Singh and debutant Vijay Sundi won gold in men’s recurve doubles, adding another major achievement to India’s campaign.

Pooja Jatyan and Bhawna Choudhary claimed silver in women’s recurve doubles, giving India its first-ever medal in the event at the Asian Para Games.

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, marking a significant milestone for the country’s shooting contingent.

India’s para-table tennis contingent added a bronze medal 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 Games.

In para-swimming, Himanshu Nandal secured 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 campaign featured record-breaking performances, historic firsts and strong results across para-athletics, para-badminton, para-archery, shooting, table tennis and swimming.

With 114 medals, including 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze, India recorded its best-ever medal haul at the Asian Para Games despite competing with a significantly smaller contingent than in Hangzhou.