Ayush Verma Strikes Gold in Shot Put as India's Tally Hits 38
Ayush Verma clinches gold in shot put F53 at Asian Para Games 2026, pushing India's total medal tally to 38. Read more on India's performance.
Indian para-athlete Ayush Verma delivered a powerhouse performance at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, clinching the gold medal in the men's shot put F53 event. This victory has propelled India's gold medal count to 10 and brought the nation's overall medal tally to an impressive 38, maintaining India's position at sixth place in the overall standings.
Ayush Verma's Golden Throw
Competing in the seated throwing event, Ayush Verma showed remarkable consistency and strength. He secured the top spot on the podium with a best effort of 8.16 metres, achieved on his fifth attempt. This gold medal adds to his successful campaign in Nagoya, as he had previously bagged a bronze medal in the men's javelin F53/54 event on Tuesday.
Para-Badminton: Mixed Fortunes for India
The action in para-badminton brought both celebration and disappointment for the Indian contingent.
Suhas Yathiraj Marches On
Paralympic medallist Suhas Yathiraj continued his dominant form in the men's singles SL4 category. He secured a place in the semifinals with a convincing straight-game victory over N. Cho of South Korea, winning 21-12, 21-16. With this win, Suhas has guaranteed himself at least a medal in the event.
Quarterfinal Exits
Unfortunately, other Indian shuttlers faced setbacks. Sukant Kadam was knocked out in the quarterfinals of the men's singles SL4 event after a grueling three-game battle against Indonesia's Fredy Setiawan, losing 17-21, 21-18, 15-21. Similarly, Prem Kumar Ale exited the men's singles WH1 quarterfinals following a 13-21, 12-21 defeat to South Korea's Haeseong Park.
Women's Singles Struggle
In the women's singles WH1 event, Pallavi Kaluvehalli's journey came to an end. She suffered her third straight group-stage loss, falling 4-21, 4-21 to Japan's Sena Tomoyose, which prevented her from advancing to the next round.
Heartbreak in Para-Archery
India came agonizingly close to adding another medal in the para-archery competition. Toman Kumar and Shyam Sunder Swami competed in the men's compound doubles bronze medal match against China.
In a nail-biting finish, the Indian duo lost by a single point, with a final score of 153-154. The match came down to Toman Kumar's final shot; he scored an eight, whereas a nine would have triggered a shoot-off and a ten would have handed the bronze medal to India. The pair ultimately finished in fourth place.