Asian Para Games: Double gold-medalist Mona Agarwal leads Indian contingent in closing ceremony
India finishes the Asian Para Games 2026 with a historic 114-medal haul, including 30 golds, led by Mona Agarwal at the closing ceremony.
India concluded its campaign at the Asian Para Games 2026 on a high note, securing a historic and record-breaking medal haul. The Indian contingent marched into the closing ceremony at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, waving the tricolour and celebrating a performance that exceeded all expectations.
A Historic Medal Haul
India finished the Games with an unprecedented total of 114 medals, comprising 30 gold, 35 silver, and 49 bronze. This achievement marks a significant leap from the 2022 edition, where India had initially won 111 medals (later reduced to 108 after doping sanctions against Neeraj Yadav and Parveen).
What makes this victory even more remarkable is the size of the contingent. While India sent 309 athletes to Hangzhou in the previous edition, only 168 para-athletes competed in the 2026 Games. Despite the smaller squad, the team delivered world-record performances and dominated several disciplines.
Closing Ceremony Highlights
The spirit of victory was evident during the closing ceremony, where the Indian team was led by Mona Agarwal, a double gold medalist in para-shooting. She shared the honor of leading the contingent as a co-flag-bearer alongside athlete Nishad Kumar.
Devendra Jhajharia, President of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), expressed immense pride in the athletes' courage and determination. He attributed this success to the unprecedented encouragement and support provided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which has helped the sporting ecosystem strive for excellence.
Dominance Across Disciplines
Para-Badminton: All-Indian Finals
The badminton courts saw a thrilling clash in the men's singles SL3 final, where reigning Paralympic champion Nitesh Kumar defeated fellow Indian and world champion Pramod Bhagat (21-18, 21-16) to claim gold. This ensured an all-Indian podium finish for the event.
- Women's Doubles SL3-SU5: Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manasi Girishchandra Joshi secured gold by defeating China's Qiuxia Yang and Zuxian Xiao.
- Women's Singles: Thulasimathi Murugesan won silver in the SU5 category, while Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan took silver in the SH6 category.
Para-Archery: Breaking New Ground
The archery team continued its winning streak with Harvinder Singh and debutant Vijay Sundi clinching gold in the men's recurve doubles. In a historic first for India at the Asian Para Games, Pooja Jatyan and Bhawna Choudhary secured a silver medal in the women's recurve doubles.
Track and Field: World Records and Podium Sweeps
India's para-athletes were unstoppable on the field, rewriting record books in multiple events:
- Javelin Throw: Haney set a world record in the T37 category with a throw of 60.49 metres to win gold.
- 400m Sprint: Debutant Sandeep clinched gold in the T64 event with a time of 52.28 seconds, setting a world record in the T44 category. Ajay Kumar complemented this with a bronze.
- Javelin Sweep: India achieved a complete podium sweep in the men's javelin throw F42-F44/F61-F64. Sumit took gold (T64) with 72.46 metres, Mahendra Gurjar took silver (T42) with a Games-record 59.03 metres, and Sandip Sanjay Sargar took bronze (T44) with a Games-record 64.48 metres.
- Club Throw: Pranav Soorma dominated the men's club throw F51, winning gold with a Games-record distance of 32.87 metres.