Asian Para Games: Kasthuri Rajamani Smashes Silver in Powerlifting as India Dominates
India's medal haul surges at the Asian Para Games as Kasthuri Rajamani, Praveen Kumar, and others secure podium finishes.
India's contingent at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games continues to deliver powerhouse performances, with para-powerlifter Kasthuri Rajamani adding a prestigious silver medal to the national tally. Competing in the women's up to 67 kg category, Rajamani showcased immense strength and resilience to secure her spot on the podium.
Kasthuri Rajamani's Gritty Performance
The competition was a tense affair of strength and strategy. Kasthuri Rajamani navigated three attempts to secure her silver. She started strong with a successful 103 kg lift, though her second attempt at 106 kg proved unsuccessful. Showing great mental toughness, she bounced back in her final attempt, successfully lifting 108 kg to clinch the silver medal.
The gold was claimed by Uzbekistan's Rukhshona Uktamova, who dominated the event with a massive lift of 127 kg. Meanwhile, South Korea's Kim Hyeonghui finished just behind Rajamani with a best lift of 107 kg.
India's Medal Surge: A Day of Dominance
With Rajamani's achievement, India's total medal count has climbed to 47, consisting of 12 gold, 17 silver, and 18 bronze medals. The momentum didn't stop with powerlifting, as Indian athletes swept across various field and track events.
Podium Sweeps in Shot Put and Discus
India achieved a remarkable second podium sweep of the Games in the men's shot put F46 event. The results were a clean sweep for the trio:
- Sachin Khilari: Gold medal with a Games-record throw of 15.87m.
- Mohd Yasser: Silver medal with a season-best effort of 15.06m.
- Praveen: Bronze medal with a throw of 14.94m.
This followed an earlier dominant display in the men's discus throw (F43/F44/F62/F64), where Devender Kumar (Gold), Rakesh (Silver), and Pardeep Kumar (Bronze) secured all three medals. Notably, Pardeep recorded the longest throw of 51.15m but finished third due to the Raza points system, which adjusts for different disability classifications.
High Jumps and Javelin Triumphs
The men's high jump T64 saw another one-two finish for India. Two-time Paralympic medallist Praveen Kumar set a new Asian Para Games record with a jump of 2.05 metres to take gold. He was followed by Banti, who secured silver with a personal best of 1.92 metres.
In the men's javelin throw F13, Manjeet secured a silver medal with a personal-best throw of 61.03 metres. Manjeet has been in stellar form this season, having previously won gold at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Delhi and the Indian Open Para Athletics Championships in Bengaluru.
More Medals for India
The success continued in other categories as well:
- Bhagyashri Jadhav: Won silver in the women's shot put F34 with a personal-best throw of 8.19m, finishing behind China's Lijuan Zou. This is Jadhav's second consecutive Asian Para Games silver in this event.
- Rakeshbhai Bhatt: Claimed bronze in the men's 100m T37 final, clocking a personal best of 11.50 seconds. The gold went to Saudi Arabia's Ali Alnakhli (11.31s) and silver to Indonesia's Saptoyogo Purnomo (11.35s).