Three Indian para athletes climbed to the top of the podium at the Asian Para Games 2026 — and Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary was among the first to make sure the country knew it. On Thursday, October 22, the senior BJP leader took to X to personally congratulate Suvarna Raj on her gold in the Women's Discus Throw F54 event, and the duo of Sheetal Devi and Toman Kumar on their gold in the Para Compound Mixed Team archery event.

Posting in Hindi, CM Choudhary wrote: 'जब भी वैश्विक मंच पर तिरंगे का मानवर्धन होता है तो हर भारतीय का मन गर्व और खुशी से भर जाता है' — 'Whenever the tricolour is honoured on a global stage, every Indian's heart fills with pride and joy.' The message closed with good wishes for the athletes' futures and the hashtags #Cheer4Bharat and #AsianParaGames2026.

Sheetal Devi and Toman Kumar's archery gold

Sheetal Devi has become one of India's most celebrated para archers in recent years, competing without arms and drawing the bow with her feet — a technique that has earned her international recognition. Partnering with Toman Kumar in the mixed compound team event at the Asian Para Games 2026, the duo's gold adds another landmark chapter to her already remarkable competitive journey. The mixed team format demands seamless coordination, and their performance was singled out by CM Choudhary as 'outstanding.'

Suvarna Raj's F54 discus gold

Suvarna Raj's gold in the Women's Discus Throw F54 category marks a strong showing in field athletics at the Games. The F54 classification covers athletes with full arm function but limited trunk and leg movement, typically competing from a wheelchair. Winning gold in this discipline on an Asian stage signals both individual excellence and the deepening competitive strength of India's para athletics programme.

Why leaders speak — and why it matters

India's political establishment has increasingly turned a spotlight on para sport, treating podium finishes at the Asian Para Games and Paralympics with the same ceremonial weight once reserved almost exclusively for able-bodied champions. Chief ministers and central ministers now routinely issue public tributes within hours of a result — a pattern that both reflects and reinforces growing public awareness of para athletics. CM Choudhary's post fits squarely in that tradition, carrying it to Bihar's substantial social-media audience.

The tricolour raised three times over in the space of two gold-medal performances. For India's para sports movement, moments like these are currency — and the nation, one congratulatory post at a time, is starting to spend it.