India concluded the first day of the 2026 Asian Para Games in Nagoya with a total of eleven medals, comprising four gold, five silver and two bronze. The haul placed the nation in fourth position on the overall medal table after only a single day of competition on Monday, 19 October.
The Indian contingent faced a packed schedule that began at 11:30 a.m. IST with Shubham Wadhwa’s quarter‑final in men’s singles Class 3 table tennis. Throughout the afternoon athletes competed in events ranging from boccia, archery and cycling to judo, powerlifting, swimming and a series of athletics finals. Notable time‑slots included the men’s long jump T47 final at 1:40 p.m., the women’s 1500 m T12/T13 final at 3:55 p.m., and the men’s javelin F46 final at 3:35 p.m., among many others.
Gold medal triumphs
The gold‑medal sweep was led by shooters and athletes in track and field. Mona Agarwal captured the women’s 10‑metre air rifle standing SH1 title, edging out compatriot Avani Lekhara by 0.4 points. In athletics, Nishad Kumar secured gold in the men’s long jump T47 with a best leap of 7.11 metres, achieving the mark on his debut in the event. Soumya, accompanied by guide Bharat Kumar, won the women’s 1500‑metre T12/T13 race in 5:12.39. Rinku delivered a dramatic finish in the men’s javelin F46, throwing 65.11 metres on his final attempt to overtake fellow Indian Ajeet Singh and claim the top podium spot.
Silver and bronze successes
Silver medals were spread across shooting, judo, swimming and another javelin performance. Avani Lekhara posted 249.6 points in the women’s 10‑metre air rifle standing SH1 to finish second behind Agarwal. Ajeet Singh recorded a throw of 65.02 metres in the men’s javelin F46, narrowly missing gold. In the women’s 1500‑metre T12/T13, Radha Venkatesh clocked 5:30.90 for silver. Kokila earned a silver medal in the women’s judo J2 –52 kg category, while swimmer Ravi Karthik Budigina posted a time of 56.68 seconds to take silver in the men’s 100‑metre freestyle S13.
The two bronze medals came from judo and middle‑distance running. Kapil Parmar secured bronze in the men’s judo J1 –70 kg class. In the women’s 1500‑metre T11, Ravanni Valasanaini was awarded bronze after the original third‑place finisher, Rakshita Raju, was disqualified, moving Valasanaini onto the podium.
Notable performances beyond the medal tally
Several Indian athletes also guaranteed future medals by reaching semifinals. In para table tennis, Bhavina Patel advanced to the women’s singles Class 4‑5 semifinals, Prachi Pandey to the Class 6 semifinals and Sonalben Patel to the Class 3 semifinals, each ensuring at least a bronze. The mixed doubles pair of Nitesh Kumar and Thulasimathi Murugesan progressed to the SL3‑SU5 semifinals, while Nitesh also recorded a straight‑sets victory (21‑13, 21‑15) over South Korea’s Joo Dongjae in the men’s singles SL3 Group A match. Ruthick Ragupathi defeated Thailand’s Somsiri Pricha 21‑12, 21‑12 in the men’s singles SU5.
In para archery, Sheetal Devi equalled the world record in the women’s compound qualification round with a score of 704 out of 720 and set a new Asian record. Together with Rakesh Kumar, she also established a world record in the mixed team event.
Near misses and other results
India also recorded several near‑misses. Kapil Kumar finished fourth in the men’s 100‑metre freestyle S10 final with a time of 59.69 seconds, missing the podium by just over three seconds from the gold‑medal time of 56.68 seconds set by Iran’s Sina Zeyghaminejad. Ajay Hindurao Bhosale placed sixth in the same event, recording 1:01.92. In para powerlifting, Jaspreet Kaur ended fourth in the women’s up‑to‑45 kg category, while Swaroop Unhalkar placed fourth in the men’s 10‑metre air rifle standing SH1 event.
Overall, the opening day demonstrated depth across a range of sports, from shooting and athletics to table tennis and archery, and set a strong foundation for India’s campaign as the Games continue in Nagoya.
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