Asian Para Games: Badminton Trio Clinch Bronze as India's Medal Haul Grows
India adds three bronze medals in para badminton at the Asian Para Games 2026. Read about the performances of Suhas Yathiraj and others.
India continued its impressive run at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, adding three more bronze medals to its para badminton tally on Thursday. The medals were secured by the duo of Krishna Nagar and Nithya Sre, as well as singles players Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj and Abhijeet Sakhuja, following their respective semifinal battles.
Badminton Semifinals: Hard-Fought Battles
The mixed doubles SH6 event saw Krishna Nagar and Nithya Sre face off against Indonesia’s Rina Marlina and Subhan. Despite their efforts, the Indian pair were defeated in straight games, 14-21, 18-21, securing a bronze medal for their journey.
In the men’s singles SL4 category, Suhas Yathiraj provided one of the most thrilling contests of the day. Facing Indonesia’s Fredy Setiawan, Suhas narrowly missed the first game 21-23 but roared back in the second set with a dominant 21-8 victory to force a decider. The third game remained a nail-biter until the 11-point mark, but Setiawan eventually pulled away to win 23-21, 8-21, 21-15.
Also in the men's singles SL4, an all-Indian clash took place between Abhijeet Sakhuja and Naveen Sivakumar. Sakhuja fought hard but ultimately fell to his compatriot with a score of 13-21, 15-21, claiming the bronze medal.
Earlier in the day, the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 pair of Manisha Ramadass and Pramod Bhagat also settled for bronze. After winning the opening game 21-16, they were unable to maintain the momentum against Indonesia’s Oktila Leani Ratri and Hikmat Ramdani, losing the next two games 13-21 and 17-21.
Golden Glory and Silver Success
While badminton brought in the bronzes, Suvarna Raj delivered the highlight of the day by winning the gold medal in the women’s discus throw F54 event. Competing in a field of six athletes, Suvarna showed remarkable consistency, recording four throws over 15 metres. Her gold-winning mark of 15.66 metres came on her fifth attempt, marking India's first gold of Thursday.
In archery, Swati Chaudhary added a silver medal to the tally in the women’s W1 individual event, after a closely contested final where she lost 4-6 to China’s Mengkan Cen.
Athletics: Finalists Emerged
India's athletics contingent also saw significant progress with several athletes qualifying for the finals:
- Men's 400m T47: Dilip Gavit (50.21 seconds) and Bhavik Bharwad (49.05 seconds) both advanced to the final.
- Women's 400m T11: Ravanni Valasanaini secured her spot in the final with a personal-best time of 1:03.80.
With these latest achievements, India's total medal count at the Asian Para Games has reached 68, consisting of 15 gold, 22 silver, and 31 bronze medals.