Asian Para Games 2026: Rohit, Sharath, Shailesh and Haney Clinch Bronze
Rohit Kumar, Sharath Makanahalli, Shailesh Kumar, and Haney secure bronze medals for India at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya.
India's medal tally continued to grow at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, as four determined athletes secured bronze medals across swimming and para athletics. Rohit Kumar, Sharath Makanahalli, Shailesh Kumar, and Haney delivered standout performances to ensure India remained a formidable force in the competition.
Swimming Success: Rohit Kumar Makes a Splash
Debutant Rohit Kumar announced his arrival on the big stage by clinching a bronze medal in the men's 100m Breaststroke SB4 final. Clocking a time of 1:57.25, Rohit significantly improved upon India's previous efforts in this event. To put his performance in perspective, he was 26.80 seconds faster than Shaikh and 27.24 seconds faster than Herojit Singh, who had finished fourth and fifth respectively during the 2022 edition.
While Rohit secured the bronze, Malaysia's Muhammad Bin Zulkafli dominated the event, taking gold with a new Games record of 1:41.44.
Para Athletics: Grit and Determination
The para athletics arena saw three Indian athletes fight their way to the podium:
Sharath Makanahalli's 1500m Battle
In the men's 1500m T12/T13 final, Sharath Makanahalli secured bronze with a timing of 4:11.01, earning 629 points. In a dramatic finish, Makanahalli held a commanding lead heading into the final lap, but a late surge from his competitors saw him overtaken at the final bend, ultimately landing him in third place. Gold went to Uzbekistan's Fakhriddin Khamraev with a Games record of 4:07.48, while Nabeel Maqableh of Jordan took silver.
Shailesh Kumar's Long Jump Leap
Shailesh Kumar, already a gold medalist in the High Jump from the Hangzhou Asiad, proved his versatility by winning bronze in the Men's Long Jump T42/T61/T63 Final. Shailesh and fellow Indian Mahendra Gurjar briefly led the field in the T42 category. However, they were surpassed by Japan's Hajime Kondo (gold, 6.51m) and Phalathip Khamtaa (silver, 6.41m), both T63 athletes. Shailesh claimed the bronze with a T42 Games record jump of 5.57m, narrowly edging out Gurjar, who finished fourth with 5.56m.
Haney's Last-Gasp Throw
Twenty-year-old Haney, the world record holder in the men's javelin throw F37, showed immense composure in the men's discus throw F37 final. After sitting in fourth place for most of the competition, Haney produced a personal best throw of 57.04 metres on his sixth and final attempt to snatch the bronze. The gold was claimed by Uzbekistan's Kudratillokhon Marufkhujaev (57.39m), and silver went to Pakistan's Haider Ali (57.20m).
India's Overall Performance at APG 2026
India enjoyed a comprehensive medal haul across multiple disciplines, showcasing depth in talent across the board.
The Medalists
- Para Athletics: Gold medals were won by Sachin Khilari, Simran Sharma, Dilip Gavit, Praveen Kumar, and Ayush Verma. Silver medals were secured by Mohammed Yasser, Parveen, Preeti Pal, Manjeet, Bhagyashri Jadhav, and Akira Banothu. Bronze medals were earned by Sukhchain, Pranav Desai, Anubhav Choudhary, Rakesh Bhatt, Ravi Rongali, Sharath Makanahalli, and Karamjyoti.
- Para Swimming: Ravi Budigina took silver in the 100m backstroke S13, while Himanshu Nandal and Rohit Kumar earned bronze.
- Para Powerlifting: Kasthuri Rajamani secured a silver medal.
- Para Archery: Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag won silver in the women's compound doubles after a tough final against China.
- Para Badminton: Alphia James and Pallavi K claimed bronze in the women's doubles WH1-WH2.
Close Calls and Notable Finishes
Despite the victories, several athletes narrowly missed the podium. Himanshu Nandal finished fourth in the men's 200m individual medley SM11. In the men's long jump T13, Sujith Mandalamkunnath finished sixth, while swimmers Vaishnavi Jagtap and Devanshi Satija also placed sixth in their respective events. Niranjan Mukundan and Suyash Jadhav finished fifth and sixth in the men's 50m butterfly S7. Additionally, Chaitanya Kulkarni finished sixth in the men's 100m breaststroke SB5.
India also competed but missed out on medals in the boccia, para cycling, and certain para archery events.