Asian Para Games 2026: Sumit Antil Wins Gold as India Achieves Record 114-Medal Haul

Sumit Antil defended his Asian Para Games javelin gold with a 72.46m throw as India secured a record 114 medals, including 30 golds, at Aichi-Nagoya.

Asian Para Games: Sumit Antil Wins Gold as India Sweeps Javelin Podium

India’s Paralympic and World champion Sumit Antil continued his impressive international run by defending his gold medal in the men’s javelin throw at the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya. Antil secured the top position with a remarkable throw of 72.46 metres at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium on Friday.

India enjoyed a clean sweep in the event, with Mahendra Gurjar winning silver and Sandip Sargar taking bronze. The achievements contributed to India’s best-ever medal tally at the continental para-sports competition.

Sumit Antil Leads India to Javelin Gold

Sumit Antil produced the best performance in the Men’s Javelin Throw F42–F44/F61–F64 final, registering a distance of 72.46 metres to claim his second gold medal at the Games.

The defending champion’s performance underlined his continued dominance in para-javelin throwing. His victory also ensured that India occupied all three podium positions in the event.

Mahendra Gurjar, competing in the F42 category, secured the silver medal with a throw of 59.03 metres and earned 1,066 Raza points. Sandip Sargar finished third with a distance of 64.48 metres, collecting 1,006 Raza points.

Both Indian athletes also set new Games records in their respective categories, making the result particularly significant for the country’s para-athletics contingent.

What Is the Raza Point System?

The Raza point system helps compare performances by athletes competing across different disability classifications. It uses a mathematical scoring method to assess results and establish rankings on a more comparable basis.

This system is important in combined para-athletics events, where competitors may have different functional abilities and compete under separate classifications.

Pranav Soorma Wins Club Throw Gold with Games Record

India added another gold medal through Pranav Soorma, who won the Men’s Club Throw F51 event with a Games-record performance of 32.87 metres.

Dharambir secured the bronze medal in the same competition after registering a throw of 27.71 metres. India narrowly missed another complete podium sweep as veteran athlete Amit Kumar Saroha finished fifth with a distance of 27.26 metres.

The results strengthened India’s performance in para-athletics and added to the country’s growing collection of medals at the Games.

India Records Its Best-Ever Asian Para Games Medal Tally

India reached a historic milestone at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games by collecting 114 medals, surpassing its previous record of 111 medals achieved at the Hangzhou edition.

According to the reported tally, India’s medal count stood at 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze medals. The gold medal total also exceeded the previous best of 29 golds recorded in Hangzhou.

The performance reflects the achievements of Indian para-athletes across multiple sporting disciplines and highlights the country’s progress in international para-sports.

Sandeep Wins Bronze in 100m T64

Indian para-athlete Sandeep secured a bronze medal in the men’s 100-metre T64 event, completing the race in 11.67 seconds.

He had also won gold in the 400-metre T64 competition earlier at the ongoing Games. His achievements added another highlight to India’s strong showing in track events.

Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manasi Joshi Win Women’s Doubles Gold

Indian shuttlers Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manasi Joshi captured the gold medal in the Women’s Doubles SL3-SU5 badminton category.

The Indian pair defeated reigning World Champions Qiuxia Yang and Zuxian Xiao of China in straight games, winning 21-16 and 21-13.

The victory was especially significant because the Indian duo avenged its defeat to the Chinese pair in the 2025 Asian Championships final. Their latest triumph also improved their medal from silver at the previous edition to gold.

Thulasimathi Adds Mixed Doubles Silver

Thulasimathi also secured a silver medal in the Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5 event alongside Nitesh Kumar.

Her achievements across the doubles categories further strengthened India’s medal count and demonstrated the depth of the country’s badminton contingent at the competition.

Conclusion

Sumit Antil’s gold medal and India’s javelin podium sweep were among the major highlights of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games. With Pranav Soorma also winning gold and Indian athletes delivering strong performances across athletics and badminton, India reached a record 114-medal tally. The achievement surpassed the country’s previous best at Hangzhou and marked a significant milestone in its Asian Para Games history.