A para badminton player from one of India's most remote northeastern states just stepped onto an international podium — twice. Biri Takar, an athlete from Arunachal Pradesh supported under the state's flagship Chief Minister's Athlete Coaching and Empowerment Scheme (CM ACES), claimed gold in Men's Doubles and bronze in Men's Singles at the Brazil Para Badminton International 2026, earning two international medals at a single tournament.

Gold and Bronze: Takar's Double Podium in Brazil

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu took to X on Monday, August 3, 2026 to congratulate Takar, calling it 'an outstanding performance' and pointing directly to the CM ACES programme as the engine behind the result. 'The CM ACES programme is producing results,' Khandu wrote. 'It's identifying talent, supporting athletes, and creating champions who are bringing glory to Arunachal Pradesh and India on the international stage.' Two medals at a single international para badminton event is a significant haul for any state-backed athlete — and for a programme whose explicit mandate is to convert raw talent in Arunachal's hills into competitive international players, this is precisely the outcome it was designed to deliver.

What CM ACES Was Built to Do

The Chief Minister's Athlete Coaching and Empowerment Scheme was conceived to address a structural gap: Arunachal Pradesh has historically produced athletes with natural ability but limited access to structured coaching, competition exposure, and institutional support. CM ACES targets that gap directly — identifying promising athletes early, placing them in coaching pipelines, and funding their participation in national and international events. Takar's Brazil double is the kind of result that validates that model. Para sports, in particular, demand specialised coaching and consistent competition exposure that most state systems in northeastern India have struggled to provide. A scheme-backed athlete returning from South America with gold and bronze signals that the infrastructure is beginning to work.

Arunachal's Quiet Rise in Para Sports

Across India's northeastern states, sports development has accelerated in recent years, driven by a combination of state-level schemes and a broader national push to expand para sports participation. Arunachal Pradesh has leaned into this momentum, using targeted programmes like CM ACES to punch above its weight on the international stage. Takar's medals are not just personal — they are a data point in a longer arc. Every CM ACES athlete who reaches an international podium makes the case for continued investment, potential scheme expansion, and greater infrastructure for para sport in the state. For a young para athlete from Arunachal Pradesh, standing on a podium in Brazil is a long way from home. The question now is how many more are in the pipeline ready to follow.