Asian Para Games 2026: Swati Chaudhary Clinches Silver in Thrilling Archery Final
Indian para-archer Swati Chaudhary clinches silver in women's W1 event. Read about India's medal haul and record-breaking performances in Aichi-Nagoya.
Indian para-archer Swati Chaudhary has secured a silver medal in the women’s W1 individual archery event at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. In a high-stakes final on Thursday, Chaudhary put up a fierce fight but eventually fell to China’s Mengkan Cen with a final score of 4-6.
The match was a rollercoaster of emotions. Swati appeared to be on the verge of claiming India's first gold in archery for this edition, establishing a commanding 4-2 lead after the first three ends. However, Mengkan Cen staged a remarkable comeback in the closing stages to flip the script and take the gold, leaving the Indian star with a well-deserved silver.
India's Medal Tally Grows
Swati’s achievement marks India's 63rd overall medal at the ongoing Games and serves as the first medal of Day 4, setting a positive tone for the rest of the contingent. As of now, India's medal haul stands at:
- Gold: 14
- Silver: 22
- Bronze: 27
Earlier in the competition, the Indian squad showed immense strength, climbing from sixth to fifth in the overall standings by the end of Day 3.
Dominance in the Throwing Arena
The throwing events have been a goldmine for India, with athletes shattering records and sweeping podiums. The Men’s Shot Put F46 was a complete Indian takeover, where the country claimed all three medals:
- Sachin Khilari: Gold (Games Record of 15.79m on his first attempt).
- Mohd Yasser: Silver (Season-best throw of 15.06m).
- Praveen: Bronze (13.83m).
Other notable performances in the throwing circle included Ayush Verma, who took gold in the Men’s Shot Put F53 (8.16m), and Bhagyashri Jadhav, who earned silver in the Women’s Shot Put F34 with a personal best of 8.19m. Ravi Rongali added a bronze in the Men’s Shot Put F40 (10.02m).
In the Javelin and Discus events, Manjeet secured silver in the Men’s Javelin Throw F13 with a career-best 61.03m, while Sukhchian took bronze in the Men’s Javelin Throw F55 (29.94m). Karamjyoti (Women’s Discus Throw F55) and Haney (Men’s Discus Throw F37) both clinched bronze medals, with Haney achieving a personal best of 57.04m.
Records Tumble in Jumping and Track Events
India's dominance extended to the jumping pits, particularly in the Men’s High Jump T44. Defending champion Praveen Kumar secured gold by clearing a Games Record height of 2.05m, while Banti took silver with a personal best of 1.92m. In the Men’s Long Jump T42, Shailesh Kumar leaped to a bronze medal and a new Games Record of 5.57m.
The track saw blistering speeds as Dilip Gavit Mahadu stormed to gold in the Men’s 100m T47 with a time of 10.69 seconds, followed closely by Mohammed Basil, who took silver in 10.72 seconds. Additional bronze medals were bagged by Anubhav Choudhary (Men’s 100m T35) and Pranav Desai (Men’s 100m T64). Sharath Makanahalli also secured bronze in the Men’s 1500m T12 with a season-best time of 4:11.01.
More Archery Success
Beyond Swati's individual success, the Indian para-archery team has been consistently strong. Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag previously secured a silver medal in the Para Compound Women’s Doubles event after a spirited battle against China’s Xu Xueqing and Zhao Jing, ending in a 141–150 defeat.