CM Fadnavis Hails India's Gold-Silver Double at Asian Para Games 2026
Synopsis
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis celebrated India's gold-silver sweep in the Women's 1500m T12/13 Final at the Asian Para Games 2026, honouring Soumya Kumar and Radha Venkatesh for a historic one-two podium finish.
Key Takeaways
Soumya Kumar won the gold medal in the Women's 1500m T12/13 Final at the Asian Para Games 2026 .
Radha Venkatesh secured the silver medal in the same event, giving India a clean 1-2 finish.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis publicly congratulated both athletes on 19 October 2026 .
The T12/13 category covers para-athletes with significant visual impairment, making the podium sweep particularly notable.
The Asian Para Games serve as a key qualifying and confidence-building platform ahead of the Paralympic Games cycle.
India has shown a gradual upward trajectory in para-athletics at continental multi-sport events over successive editions.
Gold and silver, back to back — India claimed a stunning one-two finish in the Women's 1500m T12/13 Final at the Asian Para Games 2026, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was among the first to mark the moment on Monday, 19 October 2026.
Soumya Kumar powered to the gold medal, while Radha Venkatesh crossed the line in second to claim silver, giving India a clean sweep of the top two podium spots in the event. Fadnavis posted his congratulations on X, calling it 'an outstanding performance by both athletes, securing a top-two finish for India.'
A T12/13 finish line that said it all
The T12/13 classification covers athletes with significant visual impairment — competitors who race with either a guide runner or minimal residual sight. Winning gold and silver in the same final is a rare collective statement: India did not just podium, it owned the race. The 1500m demands both raw speed and tactical composure, and Kumar and Venkatesh delivered both under the continental spotlight.
India's rising arc at the Asian Para Games
India has steadily built its para-athletics programme across successive editions of the Asian Para Games, the premier continental multi-sport platform organised by the Asian Paralympic Committee. Results from these Games carry direct implications for global selection pipelines — performances here shape squads and confidence heading into the Paralympic cycle. A one-two finish in a track final is precisely the kind of benchmark selectors and coaches cite when plotting the next step.
Recognition from senior political figures such as Chief Minister Fadnavis — who routinely amplifies national sporting achievements — also feeds into a broader ecosystem of visibility for para-athletes, an area where India has worked to close the gap with the attention afforded to able-bodied sport.
What comes next for Soumya and Radha
With the Asian Para Games 2026 programme still under way, the medal tally will continue to build. For Soumya Kumar and Radha Venkatesh, a gold-silver double at this level places them firmly in the conversation for national honours and future international selection. The next milestone to watch: whether the Athletics Federation of India and the Paralympic Committee of India formally recognise the performance with financial awards or squad confirmations.
Two athletes. One finish line. The entire podium painted in Indian colours — that is the image this Asian Para Games chapter will be remembered for.
Point of View
While ceremonial, is part of a deliberate political pattern of mainstreaming para-sport alongside Olympic disciplines, which carries real funding and visibility consequences. For India's Paralympic pipeline, podium dominance at the Asian Para Games is the clearest regional proof-of-concept ahead of the next Paralympic cycle. The moment tests whether institutional follow-through — in the form of awards, contracts, and squad selection — matches the social-media applause.
NationPress
19 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won gold for India in Women's 1500m T12/13 at Asian Para Games 2026?
Soumya Kumar won the gold medal for India in the Women's 1500m T12/13 Final at the Asian Para Games 2026 .
Who won silver for India in Women's 1500m at Asian Para Games 2026?
Radha Venkatesh secured the silver medal in the Women's 1500m T12/13 Final at the Asian Para Games 2026 , completing a gold-silver sweep for India.
What is the T12/13 classification in para-athletics?
The T12/13 classification covers athletes with significant visual impairment who compete in track events, sometimes with the aid of a guide runner.
Why did CM Devendra Fadnavis post about the Asian Para Games?
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis congratulated Soumya Kumar and Radha Venkatesh on their gold and silver medals, continuing his regular practice of publicly recognising national sporting achievements.
Where are the Asian Para Games 2026 being held?
The specific host city of the Asian Para Games 2026 has not been confirmed in available information, but the event is organised by the Asian Paralympic Committee as a continental multi-sport competition for para-athletes.
