CM Fadnavis Hails India's 1-2-3 Para High Jump Sweep at Asian Para Games 2026
Synopsis
India claimed a historic 1-2-3 sweep in Men's High Jump T63 and a gold-silver finish in Women's 400m T47 at the Asian Para Games 2026. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis celebrated the achievements on X, calling it a triumph for Indian para-sports and a proud moment for the nation.
Key Takeaways
Shailesh Kumar won Gold, Varun Bhati Silver, and Rahul Bronze in the Men's High Jump T63 at the Asian Para Games 2026 — a complete Indian podium sweep.
Anjanaben Bumbadiya claimed Gold and Jayanti Behera secured Silver in the Women's 400m T47 event.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis publicly congratulated all five athletes on 22 October 2026 .
Varun Bhati is an experienced para-athlete with prior Asian Para Games medals, adding pedigree to Thursday's haul.
India's para-sports growth over the past decade is backed by targeted coaching and the inclusion of para-athletes in government sports schemes.
The Asian Para Games is a quadrennial event organised by the Asian Paralympic Committee; India's strong 2018 Jakarta showing marked a turning point in its continental para-sports standing.
India swept the podium — every single spot — in the Men's High Jump T63 at the Asian Para Games 2026, a feat that sent Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis straight to X on Thursday, 22 October 2026 to celebrate the country's surging para-sports momentum.
The clean 1-2-3 finish saw Shailesh Kumar claim Gold, Varun Bhati take Silver, and Rahul secure Bronze in the T63 category — a class for athletes with limb deficiencies affecting the lower extremities. Fadnavis called it 'a spectacular 1-2-3 finish' and extended 'heartiest congratulations' to all three athletes for what he described as 'a phenomenal showcase of talent, determination and sporting excellence.'
Anjanaben and Jayanti complete a golden women's sprint double
The celebrations did not stop at the high-jump runway. Anjanaben Bumbadiya powered to Gold and Jayanti Behera claimed Silver in the Women's 400m T47 event — a category for athletes with an arm impairment. Two medals from a single women's track race underscored the depth India has quietly built across disciplines and gender lines.
Jayanti Behera has a history of national and international competition in T47 track events, and her silver here adds another chapter to a steady career trajectory. Varun Bhati, who has previously won medals at earlier editions of the Asian Para Games, brings experience and profile to a T63 event India now owns from top to bottom.
A decade of deliberate investment paying off
Thursday's haul did not arrive by accident. Over the past decade, India has recorded steady gains in para-sports medal counts at continental and global events — a direct result of targeted coaching programmes, improved adaptive infrastructure, and the deliberate inclusion of para-athletes within mainstream government sports schemes. The 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta marked an inflection point, where an expanded Indian contingent signalled that domestic support systems had reached a new threshold.
Fadnavis, framing the moment in national rather than party terms, called it 'a proud moment for the nation and a triumph for Indian para-sports' — language that places these wins inside the larger story of India's identity as a serious multi-sport power, not just in the able-bodied circuit.
India's overall tally and what comes next
With multiple events still to run at the Asian Para Games 2026, India's delegation — competing under the #TeamIndia banner — has already demonstrated that the podium-topping form extends well beyond any single discipline. A full sweep in high jump and a gold-silver double in the 400m in a single day represents the kind of session that reshapes a country's final medal standing.
If Thursday is a guide, India's para-athletes are not just competing — they are arriving.
Point of View
Medal-board results — making it harder for critics to dismiss the spending as performative. The question for Indian sports governance now is whether this continental dominance can be replicated on the Paralympic stage in Paris's aftermath and beyond.
NationPress
22 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won gold in Men's High Jump T63 at Asian Para Games 2026?
Shailesh Kumar won the Gold medal in Men's High Jump T63 at the Asian Para Games 2026. Varun Bhati took Silver and Rahul secured Bronze, giving India a clean sweep of all three podium spots.
What is the T63 category in para-athletics?
T63 is a para-athletics classification for field events, used for athletes who have a limb deficiency, limb impairment, or use a prosthesis primarily affecting one leg. High jump is a key T63 discipline.
What did Anjanaben Bumbadiya win at Asian Para Games 2026?
Anjanaben Bumbadiya won the Gold medal in the Women's 400m T47 event at the Asian Para Games 2026. Jayanti Behera added a Silver in the same race, giving India two of the top three finishes.
Why is India performing well at the Asian Para Games 2026?
India's improved performance at the Asian Para Games 2026 is linked to over a decade of targeted coaching investment, better adaptive sports infrastructure, and government schemes that have integrated para-athletes alongside able-bodied programs. The 2018 Jakarta edition was a key turning point in India's continental para-sports trajectory.
