Asian Para Games 2026: Nishad Kumar's double gold, Sahana's historic bronze lift India to 6th
Synopsis
Nishad Kumar is doing something rarely seen in para athletics — dominating both high jump and long jump at the same Games. His 2.04m Games Record high jump, on top of a 7.11m long jump gold, makes him the standout story of Aichi-Nagoya 2026. Add Baby Sahana Ravi's history-making para table tennis bronze — achieved on a 6-8-hours-a-day training regime since Class 5 — and India's Day Two was one of its finest at any Asian Para Games.
Key Takeaways
Nishad Kumar completed a golden double at Asian Para Games 2026 , winning the Men's High Jump T47 with a new Games Record of 2.04m and the long jump with 7.11m .
Baby Sahana Ravi from Hosur, Tamil Nadu won India's first-ever Asian Para Games medal in para table tennis, claiming bronze in Women's Singles Class 9.
Simran Sharma set a new Games record of 24.80 seconds in the Women's 200m T12 ; debutant Tejalben Damor also won bronze in the same event.
India swept the podium in the Men's Discus Throw F43/F44/F62/F64 and claimed a double podium in the Men's Discus Throw F51/52/53 .
India's total stands at 35 medals (9 gold, 11 silver, 15 bronze) after Day Two , placing the country sixth in the overall tally.
Nishad Kumar completed a stunning double at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, claiming gold in the Men's High Jump T47 to go with the gold he had already secured in the long jump. Simran Sharma set a new Games record in the Women's 200m T12 with a time of 24.80 seconds, while Baby Sahana Ravi won a historic maiden bronze for India in para table tennis Women's Singles Class 9 — all on Tuesday, 20 October, as India climbed to sixth place in the medal standings.
Nishad Kumar's Historic Double
Nishad Kumar cleared 2.04m in the Men's High Jump T47 final at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, setting a new Games Record. The previous mark of 2.01m had been held by Thailand's Angkarn Chanaboon since the Jakarta 2018 Games. Nishad also holds the Asian record of 2.14m, set at the World Para Athletics Championships 2025 in New Delhi; the world record of 2.16m belongs to America's Roderick Townsend-Roberts.
Notably, the high jump double came on top of Nishad's earlier gold in the Men's T47 long jump, where he recorded a best effort of 7.11m — a distance he matched twice in the final. Although long jump is considered secondary to his speciality, his winning distance proved beyond the reach of all rivals, underscoring his dominance across field disciplines.
Baby Sahana Ravi's Historic Bronze
Hailing from Hosur in Tamil Nadu, Baby Sahana Ravi became the first Indian to win a medal in para table tennis Women's Singles Class 9 at the Asian Para Games. She lost 0-3 to China's Mao Jingdian in the semi-finals to secure the bronze. Sahana took up table tennis in 2014 while studying in Class 5 and joined the Coronation Club in 2015 under coach Raj Aravindan Alagar. She discontinued regular schooling after Class 9, continuing through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) while training 6–8 hours a day — a dedication that has now produced India's first-ever para table tennis medal at these Games.
Simran Sharma and the 200m T12 Sweep
Paris Paralympic 2024 bronze medallist Simran Sharma won gold in the Women's 200m T12 with a Games record of 24.80 seconds, finishing ahead of Iran's Hajjar Safarzadeh (25.02 seconds). This marks a significant improvement from her silver at Hangzhou 2022, where she clocked 26.12 seconds — an improvement of 1.32 seconds. Also a world champion in the 100m, Simran's progression signals a peak in form heading into future championships.
Debutant Tejalben Damor, a visually impaired T12 para-athlete from Gujarat, claimed bronze with a personal best of 25.23 seconds, completing a double podium for India in the event.
India's Podium Sweep in Discus and More
India made a clean sweep of the podium in the Men's Discus Throw F43/F44/F62/F64: Devender Kumar won gold with 49.71m (F44 category), Rakesh took silver with 49.35m (F44), and Pradeep Kumar clinched bronze with a personal best of 51.15m (F64).
In Men's Discus Throw F51/52/53, Pranav Soorma struck gold with a new Asian Record of 11.66m, while Ram Ratan Singh bagged silver with 10.35m. Hokato Hotozhe Sema added a bronze in the Men's Shot Put F56/F57 with a throw of 14.65m, earning 999 points. Medals also came from swimming through Niranjan Mukundan in the Men's 200m IM SM7 and from Manish Narwal in shooting.
India's Medal Tally and Overall Standings
By the end of Day Two, India had accumulated 9 gold, 11 silver, and 15 bronze medals for a total of 35, placing the country sixth in the overall standings. China leads the tally with 149 medals (70 gold, 44 silver, 35 bronze), followed by Uzbekistan in second with 56 medals (17-21-18). Host nation Japan is placed third with 63 medals, including 16 gold, 20 silver, and 27 bronze. With several disciplines still to unfold, India's haul is expected to grow further as the Games continue.
Point of View
Not buried in a round-up. Baby Sahana Ravi's story is arguably even more compelling: a Class-9 dropout from Hosur who trained 6-8 hours daily on NIOS and is now an Asian Para Games medallist in a discipline India had never won at before. India's sixth-place standing flatters a medal structure that is thin on gold relative to total count — 9 golds from 35 medals — and the gap to the top-three nations (China, Uzbekistan, Japan) remains vast. The real measure of progress will be whether the sports ministry's para-athlete pipeline produces more Sahanas — athletes discovered early, coached consistently, and supported through unconventional schooling paths.
NationPress
21 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Nishad Kumar win at the Asian Para Games 2026?
Nishad Kumar won two gold medals at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya — one in the Men's High Jump T47 with a Games Record of 2.04m, and one in the Men's Long Jump T47 with a best effort of 7.11m. The high jump gold also broke the previous Games Record of 2.01m set by Thailand's Angkarn Chanaboon at Jakarta 2018.
Who is Baby Sahana Ravi and why is her bronze historic?
Baby Sahana Ravi is a para table tennis player from Hosur, Tamil Nadu, who won India's first-ever Asian Para Games medal in Women's Singles Class 9 on 20 October 2026. She reached the semi-finals before losing 0-3 to China's Mao Jingdian, securing the bronze by virtue of the result.
What is India's medal tally at the Asian Para Games 2026 after Day Two?
India had accumulated 35 medals — 9 gold, 11 silver, and 15 bronze — by the end of Day Two, placing sixth in the overall standings. China leads with 149 medals (70 gold), followed by Uzbekistan with 56 and host Japan with 63.
How did Simran Sharma perform in the 200m T12 at the 2026 Asian Para Games?
Simran Sharma won gold in the Women's 200m T12 with a new Games Record of 24.80 seconds, improving by 1.32 seconds from her silver-winning time of 26.12 seconds at Hangzhou 2022. Debutant Tejalben Damor completed a double podium for India by winning bronze with a personal best of 25.23 seconds.
Did India sweep any event at the Asian Para Games 2026?
Yes, India made a clean sweep of the Men's Discus Throw F43/F44/F62/F64 podium, with Devender Kumar taking gold (49.71m), Rakesh silver (49.35m), and Pradeep Kumar bronze (personal best 51.15m). India also claimed a double podium in the Men's Discus Throw F51/52/53 through Pranav Soorma (gold, Asian Record 11.66m) and Ram Ratan Singh (silver, 10.35m).
