NEW DELHI, October 25: India finished the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi–Nagoya, Japan, with 114 medals — 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze — its best haul at the event, beating the 111 it won at Hangzhou in 2023. The campaign ended on October 23 with a final day that brought two world records, a javelin podium sweep and India’s 100th medal of the Games, delivered by debutant sprinter Sandeep Kumar.
Key highlights
- India won 114 medals: 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze — a record for the country at the Asian Para Games.
- The previous best was 111 medals (29 gold, 31 silver, 51 bronze) at Hangzhou in 2023, according to government figures.
- Sandeep Kumar won the men’s 400m T64 in a world record 52.28 seconds; it was India’s 100th medal of the Games.
- Sumit Antil led an Indian podium sweep in the men’s javelin, with Mahendra Gurjar and Sandip Sanjay Sargar.
- India sent a 168-member contingent; Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the medal winners.
The final day
India won nine gold medals on October 23. Sandeep Kumar, competing at his first Asian Para Games, won the 400m T64 in a world-record 52.28 seconds, and Prime Minister Modi called it “a golden moment for Indian para athletics”. Ajay Kumar took bronze in the same race in 53.61.
In the javelin, Sumit Antil won gold with 72.46m, while Mahendra Gurjar and Sandip Sanjay Sargar completed an all-Indian podium; the Prime Minister’s Office described the sweep as “a proud moment for Indian para-athletics”. Haney set a world record of 60.49m in the F37/38 javelin, and Pranav Soorma won the F51 club throw with a Games record of 32.87m.
On the shooting range, Mona Agarwal won the R8 50m rifle three positions SH1 with a world-record 357.5 — her second gold of the Games after the 10m air rifle standing SH1 on October 19, which she won with a Games record. In badminton, Nitesh Kumar beat Pramod Bhagat in an all-Indian SL3 final, and Naveen Sivakumar won the SL4 title.
India at the Asian Para Games, edition by edition
| Edition | Host | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Guangzhou, China | 1 | 4 | 9 | 14 |
| 2014 | Incheon, South Korea | 3 | 14 | 16 | 33 |
| 2018 | Jakarta, Indonesia | 15 | 24 | 33 | 72 |
| 2022 (held 2023) | Hangzhou, China | 29 | 31 | 51 | 111 |
| 2026 | Aichi–Nagoya, Japan | 30 | 35 | 49 | 114 |
Our calculation: India’s total rose by three medals over Hangzhou (about 3%), with one more gold and four more silvers but two fewer bronzes — a shift towards the top of the podium. Over a longer period the change is far larger: from 33 medals and 3 golds in 2014 to 114 medals and 30 golds in 2026, a roughly 3.5-fold rise in total medals and a ten-fold rise in golds in 12 years.
Why this result matters
The Asian Para Games is the largest multi-sport event for para athletes in the region, and India’s rise has been driven mainly by para athletics and shooting, with badminton adding a steady stream of medals. The result follows India’s best Paralympic performance, 29 medals at Paris 2024, and suggests that the depth of the programme is growing: several of this year’s medallists were competing at their first major Games.
Two cautions apply. Asian Para Games results do not translate directly to the Paralympics, where Chinese, European and American athletes raise the level in many classes. And world records set at regional events still go through the usual ratification process by the sport’s governing body.
What to watch
- Ratification of the world records set by Sandeep Kumar, Haney and Mona Agarwal.
- Selection and funding decisions for the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
- Whether the newer medallists can repeat their form at world championships, where the competition is deeper.
File photo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with India’s Paris 2024 Paralympic contingent in New Delhi on September 12, 2024; not a photograph from the 2026 Asian Para Games. Image: Prime Minister’s Office / Press Information Bureau, Government Open Data Licence – India, via Wikimedia Commons. Photo source · Licence
Sources
- Prime Minister of India: PM congratulates Sandeep Kumar on winning Gold and setting a new World Record at the Asian Para Games
- Prime Minister of India: PM hails historic podium sweep by Indian athletes in Men’s Javelin Throw at the Asian Para Games
- Prime Minister of India: PM congratulates Mona Agarwal on winning Gold and setting a new Asian Para Games Record
- Press Information Bureau: Medal tally at the 4th Asian Para Games, Hangzhou (November 2, 2023)
- Olympics.com: Asian Para Games 2026, India on October 23
The Sports Desk covers cricket, the Asian Games and Indian and international sport. Stories are checked against at least two credible sources before publication.
