CM Rekha Gupta Hails Khelo India Para-Athlete's Asian Para Games Bronze
Synopsis
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta congratulated Khelo India para-athlete Rakeshbhai Bhatt on winning a bronze medal in the Men's 200m T37 Final at the Asian Para Games 2026, highlighting India's growing para-sports medal haul backed by the central Khelo India scheme.
Key Takeaways
Rakeshbhai Bhatt won the bronze medal in the Men's 200m T37 Final at the Asian Para Games 2026 .
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta publicly congratulated Bhatt on 23 October 2026 via a post on X.
Bhatt is a Khelo India programme athlete, the Government of India's grassroots sports scheme launched in 2017 .
The T37 category is for athletes with coordination impairments competing in track events.
India has steadily grown its para-sports pipeline through central schemes targeting training and international competition.
A Khelo India para-athlete has brought home bronze — and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was among the first to celebrate the moment. Rakeshbhai Bhatt clinched a bronze medal in the Men's 200m T37 Final at the Asian Para Games 2026 on Friday, 23 October 2026, adding another chapter to India's growing para-sports story.
Bhatt's Bronze in the Men's 200m T37
The T37 classification is contested by athletes with coordination impairments, making the 200m a test of both technical precision and raw speed. Bhatt's performance on the track earned him a place on the podium and drew praise from CM Gupta, who described it as 'a stellar display of speed, grit and determination.' The win places him among a select group of Indian para-athletes to medal at the continental games.
Khelo India's Para-Sports Push
Bhatt competes under the banner of Khelo India, the Government of India's flagship grassroots sports programme launched in 2017. The scheme funds talent identification, coaching, and international exposure for athletes — including those in para disciplines — and has become a pipeline for India's para-sports medal hopes at Asian and global events. Bhatt's bronze is the kind of result the programme was designed to produce.
India has steadily expanded its para-sports infrastructure over the last decade, with central schemes channelling resources toward training and competition travel. Performances at the Asian Para Games have become a benchmark for measuring that investment, and political leaders across the spectrum now routinely mark these milestones — signalling that para-athletic achievement carries genuine public-interest weight, not just symbolic recognition.
For Rakeshbhai Bhatt, the medal is a personal summit. For the Khelo India programme, it is another data point in an argument for sustained state support of para sports. The cheer from Raisina Hill will not hurt either.
Point of View
Not just ceremonial moments. The Khelo India scheme, now nearly a decade old, is increasingly measured by its medal output at events like the Asian Para Games. Bhatt's bronze gives the programme a concrete, nameable success story at a high-visibility international event. The broader arc here is India's deliberate effort to build a para-sports identity that can rival its able-bodied athletics narrative on the world stage.
NationPress
24 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Rakeshbhai Bhatt?
Rakeshbhai Bhatt is a Khelo India para-athlete who won the bronze medal in the Men's 200m T37 Final at the Asian Para Games 2026. Specific biographical details have not been independently verified.
What is the T37 category in para athletics?
The T37 classification in para athletics is for athletes with coordination impairments such as hypertonia, ataxia, or athetosis. Competitors in this class race in track events including the 200m sprint.
What is the Khelo India scheme?
Khelo India is a Government of India programme launched in 2017 to promote grassroots sports, identify talent, and fund training and international participation for Indian athletes, including para-athletes.
What are the Asian Para Games?
The Asian Para Games is a quadrennial multi-sport event organised by the Asian Paralympic Committee for athletes with disabilities across Asia. It is one of the most prestigious continental para-sports competitions.
Why did Delhi CM Rekha Gupta congratulate Rakeshbhai Bhatt?
CM Rekha Gupta congratulated Bhatt on his bronze medal at the Asian Para Games 2026 in recognition of his achievement as a Khelo India athlete and to celebrate India's para-sports performance at the games.
