CM Bhajan Lal Hails India's Para-Badminton Bronze Winners at Asian Para Games 2026
Synopsis
Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma congratulated 10 Indian para-badminton players — including Pramod Bhagat, Suhas L. Yathiraj, and Sanjana Kumari — on winning bronze medals at the Asian Para Games 2026, calling their achievement an inspiration for India's youth.
Key Takeaways
Ten Indian para-badminton players won bronze medals at the Asian Para Games 2026 across men's singles, women's singles, and doubles categories.
Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma named all 10 athletes individually: Suhas L.
Yathiraj, Abhijit Sakhuja, Sanjana Kumari, Alfiya James, Pallavi K.M., Nitya Shree Sumati Sivan, Krishna Nagar, Pramod Bhagat, and Manisha Ramdas.
Pramod Bhagat is a multiple Paralympic medallist and one of India's most recognised para-badminton players.
Yathiraj is a serving IAS officer who competes at the elite international para-badminton level.
India's Khelo India programme (2017) has systematically supported para disciplines, contributing to the country's growing international para-sport medal count.
India recorded its best-ever Paralympic tally of 19 medals at Tokyo 2020 , reflecting the broader momentum in para sports.
Ten Indian para-badminton players returned with bronze medals from the Asian Para Games 2026, and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma was among the first to salute their grit — honouring each athlete by name in a post shared on Thursday, 22 October 2026.
The CM's message, written in Hindi, praised the athletes for lifting 'the honour of Mother India' through their 'extraordinary game and indomitable resolve' — asadharan khel aur adamya sankalp — a phrase that captures something medals alone cannot quantify. The full roll call: men's singles players Suhas L. Yathiraj and Abhijit Sakhuja, women's singles player Sanjana Kumari, and doubles contingent Alfiya James, Pallavi K.M., Nitya Shree Sumati Sivan, Krishna Nagar, Pramod Bhagat, and Manisha Ramdas.
The Names Behind the Medals
Pramod Bhagat is arguably India's most decorated para-badminton name — a multiple Paralympic medallist whose name on any podium list carries weight well beyond the colour of the medal. Suhas L. Yathiraj, an IAS officer who competes at the elite global level, has long been a symbol of what India's para-sport ecosystem can produce when bureaucratic access meets athletic ambition. The presence of women's singles and doubles players across the bronze list signals a broadening of India's competitive depth, not just a cluster of familiar stars.
India's Para-Sport Momentum — and Where Rajasthan Fits
India's para-sport surge is not accidental. The Khelo India programme, launched in 2017, specifically folded para disciplines into grassroots talent development, and the results have been compounding: India's 19-medal haul at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics remains its best ever at that stage. State governments, including Rajasthan's, have increasingly aligned local athlete-support schemes with this national momentum, making congratulatory messages from CMs part of a broader signalling loop — we see you, we are invested, keep going.
Sharma closed his message with a note aimed squarely at younger readers: that these athletes' achievements would inspire India's youth 'to keep striving for their goals and triumph over challenges.' It is the kind of framing that threads individual excellence into a national narrative — and for a state as large as Rajasthan, with its own para-athletes in the mix, the gesture is as much policy communication as it is celebration.
Ten names, ten bronzes, one unmistakable message: India's para-badminton bench is deep, and it is only getting deeper.
Point of View
Signalling that para-sport visibility is now a mainstream political priority rather than an afterthought. It fits a broader arc in which state and central leaders actively amplify para-athletic success to reinforce inclusivity narratives and the Khelo India brand. For Rajasthan specifically, attaching the state's highest office to a national para-sport moment builds soft political capital ahead of future athlete-welfare budget conversations. The pattern also underscores how India's para-sport ecosystem — once almost invisible in public discourse — now commands prime-time political real estate.
NationPress
22 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won bronze in para-badminton at the Asian Para Games 2026?
Ten Indian players won bronze medals: Suhas L. Yathiraj and Abhijit Sakhuja in men's singles, Sanjana Kumari in women's singles, and Alfiya James, Pallavi K.M., Nitya Shree Sumati Sivan, Krishna Nagar, Pramod Bhagat, and Manisha Ramdas in doubles events.
What did Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma say about the Asian Para Games 2026 medallists?
CM Sharma offered heartfelt congratulations to all 10 athletes, saying they had raised India's honour through extraordinary skill and indomitable resolve, and that their achievement would inspire India's youth to strive for their goals.
Who is Pramod Bhagat and why is he significant in para-badminton?
Pramod Bhagat is one of India's most decorated para-badminton players, with multiple Paralympic medals and international titles to his name, making his presence on any podium a significant sporting moment.
What is the Khelo India programme and how does it support para athletes?
The Khelo India programme was launched in 2017 to develop sports talent at the grassroots level across India, including para disciplines, and has contributed to India's growing international para-sport medal count.
What is India's best-ever Paralympic medal tally?
India's best-ever Paralympic medal tally is 19 medals, achieved at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
