CM Saini Congratulates Prachi Pandey on Asian Para Games Bronze
Synopsis
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on 20 October 2026 congratulated para-athlete Prachi Pandey for winning a bronze medal in women's singles Para Table Tennis Class 6 at the Asian Para Games 2026, praising her determination and calling the feat a moment of national pride.
Key Takeaways
Prachi Pandey won a bronze medal in women's singles Para Table Tennis Class 6 at the Asian Para Games 2026 .
Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini publicly congratulated her on 20 October 2026 via X.
Class 6 Para Table Tennis is contested by standing athletes with lower-limb impairments.
The Asian Para Games is a quadrennial multi-sport event run by the Asian Paralympic Committee .
India's para-sports medal haul at continental games has grown steadily over the past decade.
A possible state cash award from the Haryana government for Pandey remains to be announced.
A bronze medal in women's singles Para Table Tennis Class 6 — and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was among the first to celebrate it. On Tuesday, 20 October 2026, Saini took to X to congratulate Prachi Pandey on her podium finish at the Asian Para Games 2026, calling her performance a moment of national pride.
Posting in Hindi, Saini wrote: 'एशियन पैरा गेम्स 2026 में महिला एकल पैरा टेबल टेनिस (क्लास 6) स्पर्धा में कांस्य पदक जीतने पर प्राची पांडेय को हार्दिक बधाई!' — 'Heartiest congratulations to Prachi Pandey for winning a bronze medal in the women's singles Para Table Tennis (Class 6) event at the Asian Para Games 2026!' He added that her 'hard work, determination and outstanding performance have made the country proud,' closing with wishes for her 'bright future.'Para Table Tennis Class 6 — what the category means
Class 6 in Para Table Tennis is contested by athletes with impairments affecting the lower limbs who compete standing rather than in a wheelchair. It is one of the most physically demanding para-TT categories, requiring full upper-body mobility, reflexes, and footwork adapted to each player's specific disability profile. A medal at the Asian Para Games — the continent's premier multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities, held every four years under the Asian Paralympic Committee — carries significant weight on the road to Paralympic qualification cycles.
India's growing para-sports momentum
Pandey's bronze arrives against the backdrop of a decade-long surge in India's para-sports infrastructure and results. Indian state leaders publicly congratulating para athletes has itself become a more visible ritual as medal tallies have grown — a signal of how mainstream para sport has become in the national conversation. For Haryana in particular, a state with a long tradition of producing Olympic and Paralympic champions, every podium finish abroad reinforces a sporting identity the government actively cultivates.
Whether Saini's congratulations are followed by a formal state cash award — a common practice in Haryana for international medallists — will be worth watching in the days ahead. Pandey's Class 6 bronze is already a landmark moment. The next chapter is how the system responds to it.
Point of View
High-visibility signal of inclusion that also serves as soft political branding. For Haryana, a state whose sports policy has long tied athlete success to government identity, recognising Pandey is consistent with a broader effort to position the BJP administration as a champion of grassroots sporting talent. The real policy test comes next: whether a formal cash incentive follows, as it routinely does for Olympic and Paralympic medallists in the state. Pandey's Class 6 bronze also adds to India's continental para-sport footprint at a moment when the country is consciously building depth ahead of the next Paralympic cycle.
NationPress
20 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Prachi Pandey and what did she win at the Asian Para Games 2026?
Prachi Pandey is an Indian para-athlete who won a bronze medal in the women's singles Para Table Tennis Class 6 event at the Asian Para Games 2026.
What is Para Table Tennis Class 6?
Class 6 is a Para Table Tennis category for athletes with lower-limb impairments who compete in a standing position, requiring adapted footwork and full upper-body mobility.
What are the Asian Para Games?
The Asian Para Games is a quadrennial multi-sport competition for athletes with disabilities held under the Asian Paralympic Committee, bringing together nations from across Asia.
Why did Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini congratulate Prachi Pandey?
Chief Minister Saini congratulated Pandey on her bronze medal at the Asian Para Games 2026, calling her performance a source of national pride and wishing her a bright future.
Will Haryana give a cash award to Prachi Pandey for the Asian Para Games medal?
No official announcement has been made yet. Haryana has a tradition of giving cash awards to international medallists, so a formal state reward is possible but unconfirmed.
