CM Saini Hails Soumya, Radha's Para Games Medals
Synopsis
Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini celebrated a remarkable Indian double in the Women's 1500m T12/13 at the Asian Para Games 2026, with Soumya winning gold with a personal best and Radha Venkatesh claiming silver.
Key Takeaways
Soumya won gold in the Women's 1500m T12/13 at the Asian Para Games 2026 , recording a personal best.
Radha Venkatesh claimed silver in the same event, giving India a one-two finish.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini publicly congratulated both athletes on October 19, 2026 .
CM Saini's post specifically acknowledged Soumya's personal-best achievement, not just the podium result.
The recognition reflects Haryana's longstanding culture of state-level celebration of para-sport success.
Two Indian women turned a running track into a moment of national pride on Monday, October 19, 2026 — and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was among the first to mark it. Soumya claimed gold in the Women's 1500m T12/13 event at the Asian Para Games 2026, setting a personal best in the process, while Radha Venkatesh added silver to India's tally in the same race.
Posting on X, CM Saini wrote: 'ट्रैक पर तिरंगे की शान, भारत की बेटियों के नाम!' — 'The glory of the tricolour on the track, dedicated to India's daughters!' He saluted the athletes' courage and hard work, urging them to keep reaching new heights and making the country proud under the hashtags #Cheer4Bharat and #AsianParaGames2026.
A personal best that turned into gold
Soumya's win was not merely a podium finish — it was a personal-best performance, meaning she ran the race faster than she ever had before. That detail matters: in para-athletics, where preparation resources can be harder to access, a personal best at a continental championship signals an athlete in peak form, not just lucky timing. Radha Venkatesh's silver in the same event gave India a one-two finish — a sweep of the top two spots that rarely happens at this level of competition.
Why Haryana's CM took notice
Haryana has built a reputation as one of India's most decorated sporting states, consistently producing Olympic, Paralympic, and Commonwealth Games medallists. Chief Ministers from the state have made a habit of publicly celebrating athletic achievements — part of a broader culture of state-level recognition that runs alongside central government support for para-sport. CM Saini, who assumed office in 2024, continued that tradition with his post, naming both athletes by name rather than offering a generic congratulation.
Indian political leaders routinely amplify para-sport victories on social media, but the specificity here — naming the event category, acknowledging the personal best, celebrating a one-two finish — gives the message more weight than a ceremonial nod. It reflects growing institutional attention to para-athletics as a serious competitive domain, not a footnote to the mainstream sporting calendar.
With the Asian Para Games 2026 still under way, more results are expected. Two medals in a single women's track event on a single day is the kind of momentum that builds a Games to remember — and India's daughters on the T12/13 track just set the tone.
Point of View
Name-specific congratulation sits within a well-established pattern of Indian state governments using para-sport victories to signal support for disability-inclusive athletic investment. Haryana in particular has positioned itself as a sporting state, and public recognition from its Chief Minister carries symbolic weight beyond a social media post. The one-two finish in the Women's 1500m T12/13 also underscores India's deepening pipeline in para-athletics — a discipline where medal returns have grown steadily at continental and global championships over the past decade. Whether this momentum translates into structural support — better training infrastructure, enhanced stipends — is the real test of political goodwill.
NationPress
20 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Soumya and what did she win at the Asian Para Games 2026?
Soumya won the gold medal in the Women's 1500m T12/13 event at the Asian Para Games 2026, achieving a personal best in the process.
What medal did Radha Venkatesh win at the Asian Para Games 2026?
Radha Venkatesh won the silver medal in the Women's 1500m T12/13 event at the Asian Para Games 2026, giving India a one-two finish.
Why did Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini post about the Asian Para Games?
CM Nayab Singh Saini congratulated Soumya and Radha Venkatesh on their gold and silver medals, saluting their hard work and encouraging them to keep making India proud.
What is the T12/13 category in para-athletics?
T12 and T13 are para-athletics classifications for athletes with visual impairments, with T12 indicating a higher degree of visual impairment than T13. Both categories compete together in certain track events.
When are the Asian Para Games 2026 taking place?
The Asian Para Games 2026 are ongoing as of October 19, 2026, with India competing across multiple events and disciplines.
