Anurag Thakur Hails India's Gold in Para Compound Archery
Synopsis
BJP MP Anurag Thakur celebrated Sheetal Devi and Toman Kumar's gold medal in the Para Compound Mixed Team Final at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, hailing the win as golden glory for India.
Key Takeaways
Sheetal Devi and Toman Kumar won gold in the Para Compound Mixed Team Final at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur , former Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, congratulated the pair on 22 October 2026 .
India had previously secured multiple archery medals at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou , establishing compound archery as a strong suit.
The Asian Para Games 2026 are organised by the Asian Paralympic Committee and held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan .
India's para-sports ecosystem has grown through dedicated training centres and improved equipment access, with the 2028 Paralympics serving as the next major target.
Gold for India — and this time, it came with a bow. Sheetal Devi and Toman Kumar clinched the top podium spot in the Para Compound Mixed Team Final at the Asian Para Games 2026, delivering a moment that BJP MP Anurag Thakur was quick to celebrate on Thursday.
Thakur, former Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports, posted on X: 'Golden Glory for India! Heartiest congratulations to Sheetal Devi and Toman Kumar on clinching Gold in the Para Compound Mixed Team Final at the Asian Para Games 2026.' The message, carrying the hashtag #Cheer4Bharat, reflected the kind of para-sports recognition that Thakur championed during his ministerial tenure.
Sheetal Devi's Rise in Para Compound Archery
Sheetal Devi has become one of Indian para-archery's most recognisable names, specialising in compound events and building a record of international appearances that has steadily grown in ambition. Competing alongside Toman Kumar in the mixed team format, the pair converted that experience into gold at a continental stage that draws the continent's finest para-athletes.
Asian Para Games 2026 — Aichi-Nagoya's Grand Stage
The Asian Para Games 2026, hosted in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, are organised by the Asian Paralympic Committee and serve as the region's premier multi-sport para event. India has been building on a strong archery performance at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, where the contingent returned with multiple medals from compound events. This gold continues that upward curve.
A Wider Pattern of Para-Sports Investment
The win reflects a broader shift in Indian para-sports infrastructure — dedicated training centres, improved equipment access, and more structured coaching pipelines for para-athletes. Compound archery, in particular, has benefited from targeted support that has translated continental ambitions into continental medals. With the 2028 Paralympic Games on the horizon, performances like this at Aichi-Nagoya carry strategic weight beyond the scoreboard.
India's para-archers have proven they can win when it matters. The question now is how far this momentum carries them all the way to Los Angeles.
Point of View
India began institutionalising para-sports support rather than treating it as an afterthought to the Olympic programme. A gold in the mixed compound event at a major continental para competition is precisely the kind of outcome that validates that policy direction. More broadly, the win arrives at a moment when India is consciously building its para-sports medal pipeline ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, making every continental gold a data point in a larger strategic argument. Whether that infrastructure investment holds — and scales — will be tested well before Los Angeles.
NationPress
22 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Sheetal Devi and Toman Kumar?
Sheetal Devi is a prominent Indian para-archer who specialises in compound events and has represented India in major international competitions. Toman Kumar is her partner in the mixed team compound archery event at the Asian Para Games 2026.
What is the Asian Para Games 2026?
The Asian Para Games 2026 is a continental multi-sport event for para-athletes organised by the Asian Paralympic Committee, being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan in 2026.
What medal did India win in para archery at Asian Para Games 2026?
India won a gold medal in the Para Compound Mixed Team Final at the Asian Para Games 2026, through the pairing of Sheetal Devi and Toman Kumar.
Why did Anurag Thakur congratulate Sheetal Devi?
BJP MP Anurag Thakur, a former Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, congratulated Sheetal Devi and Toman Kumar on their gold medal win at the Asian Para Games 2026 as part of his continued public support for Indian para-athletes.
How has India performed in para archery at previous Asian Para Games?
India secured multiple medals in archery at the 2022 Asian Para Games held in Hangzhou, China, establishing compound archery as one of the country's stronger para-sports disciplines at the continental level.
