CM Dhami congratulates Soumya Kumar, Radha Venkatesh on Asian Para Games medals
Synopsis
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami congratulated para athletes Soumya Kumar and Radha Venkatesh for winning gold and silver respectively in the Women's 1500m T12/13 final at the Asian Para Games 2026, calling all Indians proud of their achievement.
Key Takeaways
Soumya Kumar won the gold medal in the Women's 1500m T12/13 final at the Asian Para Games 2026 .
Radha Venkatesh claimed the silver medal in the same event, giving India a one-two finish.
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami extended congratulations via X on 19 October 2026 .
The T12/13 classification covers athletes with visual impairments.
CM Dhami used #AsianParaGames2026 and #Cheer4Bharat to amplify the achievement nationally.
Two Indian para athletes put the country on the podium on Monday, 19 October 2026, and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was quick to mark the moment — congratulating Soumya Kumar on winning gold and Radha Venkatesh on claiming silver in the Women's 1500m T12/13 final at the Asian Para Games 2026.
Posting on X, CM Dhami wrote: 'एशियन पैरा गेम्स 2026 में महिला 1500 मीटर T12/13 फाइनल में स्वर्ण पदक जीतने पर सौम्या कुमार जी और रजत पदक हासिल करने पर राधा वेंकटेश जी को हार्दिक बधाई।' — 'Heartfelt congratulations to Soumya Kumar for winning gold and Radha Venkatesh for winning silver in the Women's 1500m T12/13 final at the Asian Para Games 2026. Every citizen of the country is proud of your achievement. Infinite best wishes to both athletes for upcoming competitions.'
Gold and silver for India in the T12/13 1500m
The T12/13 classification covers athletes with visual impairments — T12 denoting those who are partially sighted and T13 those with a lesser degree of visual impairment. Competing at this level demands not just physical conditioning but a precise partnership with guides, making a one-two finish by Indian athletes a particularly striking result.
Soumya Kumar's gold and Radha Venkatesh's silver in the same final represent a rare podium sweep by the Indian contingent in a middle-distance para track event at a continental Games.
Para sports visibility and the role of public figures
State chief ministers across India have increasingly used social media to amplify para-sports achievements — a pattern that has grown sharper since India's improving medal tallies at successive Asian Para Games editions. CM Dhami's use of the hashtags #AsianParaGames2026 and #Cheer4Bharat places the congratulations within a coordinated national-pride narrative that successive governments have cultivated around the country's para athletics programme.
Public visibility from senior political figures does more than mark a moment — it signals institutional acknowledgement to athletes whose competitions rarely receive the broadcast coverage accorded to their non-para counterparts.
For Soumya Kumar and Radha Venkatesh, the medals are a statement. The conversation about what support follows them home is only just beginning.
Point of View
Public congratulations fit a broader BJP pattern of deploying social media to project a 'sporting nation' identity. The deeper question is whether the applause translates into state-level infrastructure or funding for para athletics programmes in Uttarakhand — and whether athletes like Soumya Kumar and Radha Venkatesh receive sustained institutional backing or a single congratulatory post.
NationPress
19 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Soumya Kumar?
Soumya Kumar is an Indian para athlete who won the gold medal in the Women's 1500m T12/13 final at the Asian Para Games 2026.
What did Radha Venkatesh win at the Asian Para Games 2026?
Radha Venkatesh won the silver medal in the Women's 1500m T12/13 final at the Asian Para Games 2026.
What is the T12/13 classification in para athletics?
The T12/13 classification covers athletes with visual impairments — T12 refers to partially sighted athletes and T13 to those with a lesser degree of visual impairment.
Why did CM Dhami congratulate Soumya Kumar and Radha Venkatesh?
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami congratulated the two athletes on their gold and silver medals in the Women's 1500m T12/13 final at the Asian Para Games 2026, calling their achievement a matter of national pride.
What is the Asian Para Games 2026?
The Asian Para Games 2026 is a major multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities held across Asia, contested across multiple para-sport disciplines including para athletics.
