Asian Para Games: Manish Narwal Clinches Silver as India Surges in Medal Tally
Manish Narwal shines in shooting as India secures multiple silver and bronze medals across powerlifting and table tennis at the Asian Para Games.
India's campaign at the Asian Para Games continues to gather momentum, with star shooter Manish Narwal securing a silver medal in the men's 10m air pistol SH1 category. Narwal's impressive performance, alongside strong showings in para-powerlifting and para-table tennis, has pushed India's total medal count to 22, comprising five golds, eight silvers, and nine bronzes.
Manish Narwal's Dramatic Comeback in Shooting
Manish Narwal displayed remarkable resilience in the shooting arena. After a modest fifth-place finish in the qualification round, Narwal surged back during the finals. A powerhouse second series of 49.8 propelled him into medal contention, allowing him to finish with a total score of 233.7.
While Narwal secured the silver, he was unable to catch South Korea's Jo Jeongdu, the world record holder, who dominated the field with a score of 241.3. Narwal finished ahead of China's Yang Chao to claim his prize. In the same event, Rudranksh Khandelwal, who had finished second in qualifications, struggled in the final and ended the competition in seventh place. Despite this, Khandelwal has already secured his spot for the Los Angeles Paralympics 2028.
Silver Success in Powerlifting and Table Tennis
The silver medal haul extended to other disciplines as well. In para-powerlifting, Ashok delivered a strong performance in the men's 65 kg category, lifting 192 kg to earn silver. He finished behind China's Zou Yi, who took the gold with a massive lift of 216 kg.
In para-table tennis, Jehan Madan secured a silver medal in the men's singles class 1. In a five-man field, Madan finished fourth in his group, beating compatriot Sandeep Dangi, which proved sufficient to secure a place on the podium.
Historic Bronze Haul for Women's Table Tennis
India saw a significant breakthrough in para-table tennis, particularly in the women's events. Baby Sahana Ravi made history by winning a bronze medal in the women's singles Class 9, marking India's first-ever medal in the standing category of para-table tennis at the Asian Para Games. She settled for bronze after a 0-3 defeat to China's Mao Jingdian in the semi-finals.
Other notable achievements in table tennis included:
- Prachi Pandey: Won bronze in the women's singles Class 6 after losing her semi-final to Iraq's Najlah Al-Dayyeni.
- Bhavina Patel: The 2020 Paralympics silver medallist earned a bronze in the Women's Singles Class 4-5 after a semi-final loss to China's Zhang Bian.
- Sonalben Patel: Secured a bronze in the women's singles Class 3 following a semi-final defeat to South Korea's Yoon Jiyu.
Athletics and Other Highlights
The athletics track provided one of the most electrifying moments of the Games. Deepthi Jeevanji delivered a standout performance, clinching the gold medal in the women's 400m T20 event. She didn't just win; she set a new Games record with a blistering time of 56.36 seconds.
Further additions to the medal tally came from the field events:
- Pradeep Kumar: Silver medal in the men's javelin throw F53/F54.
- Ayush Verma: Bronze medal in the men's javelin throw F53/F54.
- Praveen Sharma: Bronze medal in the men's shot put F11.