Anurag Thakur hails Praveen Sharma's Bronze in Para Shot Put
Synopsis
BJP MP Anurag Thakur celebrated para athlete Praveen Sharma's bronze medal in the Men's Shot Put F11 at the Asian Para Games 2026, calling it a 'fighting and undaunted performance' and expressing national pride.
Key Takeaways
Praveen Sharma won the bronze medal in Men's Shot Put F11 at the Asian Para Games 2026 .
The F11 category is for athletes with total or near-total visual impairment, making the achievement especially significant.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur , former Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, publicly congratulated Sharma on 20 October 2026 .
India has fielded para sports contingents at previous Asian Para Games editions, including Jakarta 2018 and Hangzhou 2023 .
The win adds to India's growing medal footprint at the Asian Para Games across multiple disciplines.
A bronze medal in the Men's Shot Put F11 — and a nation stops to cheer. Praveen Sharma delivered a fighting performance at the Asian Para Games 2026 to claim a podium finish for India, drawing swift congratulations from BJP MP Anurag Thakur, former Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, on Tuesday, 20 October 2026.
Thakur, who represented India's sports portfolio at the ministerial level and has been among the most vocal political champions of para athletes, took to X to celebrate the moment. 'Bronze for India! Praveen Sharma clinches the Bronze Medal in the Men's Shot Put F11 at the Asian Para Games 2026 with a fighting and undaunted performance. The whole nation is proud of you,' he wrote, signing off with a Jai Hind and the tricolour.
What the F11 category means — and why it matters
The F11 classification covers athletes with visual impairment — total or near-total blindness. Competing in shot put under these conditions demands not just raw power but extraordinary spatial awareness, technique, and trust in a guiding system. A medal at this level is a statement of athletic excellence, not just courage.
The Asian Para Games, organised by the Asian Paralympic Committee, serve as Asia's premier multi-sport competition for athletes with disabilities. India has steadily built its presence across editions — fielding contingents at Jakarta 2018 and Hangzhou 2023 — with para sports receiving incremental government backing through the Sports Ministry and national federations. Each medal adds to a track record that advocates point to when arguing for greater structural investment.
Para sports on India's political radar
Individual wins like Sharma's tend to land louder in India's public conversation when amplified by prominent political voices — and Thakur, given his former ministerial portfolio, carries particular weight in that space. His post, tagged #Cheer4Bharat and #AsianParaGames2026, is part of a pattern where para athletes receive the kind of social-media spotlight once reserved almost exclusively for cricket.
India's final medal tally at the 2026 edition of the Games, and any formal statements from the Paralympic Committee of India or the Sports Ministry, will be the next markers of the country's para-sport trajectory. For now, Praveen Sharma's bronze is the headline.
A blind athlete lifts a shot put, releases it into the unknown, and lands on a podium. That is the story India is celebrating today.
Point of View
Sustained effort by India's political establishment to normalise para sports in the national conversation — a push that gained visible momentum during his ministerial tenure. Each high-profile political acknowledgement raises the social capital of para athletes and nudges institutional support further. The F11 Shot Put bronze is also a data point in India's broader arc of competitive improvement at Asian Para Games, an arc that feeds directly into Paralympic preparation cycles. Whether Sharma's win translates into enhanced training grants or federation investment will be the true test of whether political celebration converts to structural change.
NationPress
20 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Praveen Sharma in para sports?
Praveen Sharma is an Indian para athlete who competes in shot put in the F11 classification, which covers athletes with severe visual impairment. He won the bronze medal in the Men's Shot Put F11 event at the Asian Para Games 2026.
What is the F11 classification in para athletics?
The F11 classification in para athletics is for athletes with total or near-total blindness. Competitors in this category rely on spatial awareness and precise technique rather than visual cues, making their performances particularly demanding.
What are the Asian Para Games?
The Asian Para Games are a multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities across Asia, organised by the Asian Paralympic Committee. India has participated in previous editions including Jakarta 2018 and Hangzhou 2023.
Why did Anurag Thakur comment on Praveen Sharma's medal?
Anurag Thakur is a BJP MP and former Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, giving him a long-standing public association with Indian athletics and para sports. He regularly congratulates Indian athletes on international podium finishes.
How is India performing at the Asian Para Games 2026?
Praveen Sharma's bronze in Men's Shot Put F11 is one of India's confirmed medals at the Asian Para Games 2026. The full tally is expected to be confirmed at the close of the Games, with multiple disciplines still ongoing.
