Four gold medals. Multiple world records. One unforgettable day for Indian para-sport. Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary took to X on Friday, October 23, 2026, to salute a historic sweep of gold by Indian para athletes at the Asian Para Games 2026 — across archery, badminton, and track and field.

The golden four and the records they shattered

The victories that drew CM Choudhary's congratulations span four disciplines and five athletes. Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi combined to clinch gold in the men's doubles para archery event. Naveen Shivakumar dominated the men's singles SL4 para badminton final. In athletics, Sandeep blazed to gold in the men's 400 metres T64 category, while Honey hurled to the top of the men's javelin throw podium — both performances accompanied by world-record marks.

Choudhary's post described the achievements as a testament to 'asadharan kaushal, varshon ke kathin parishram aur apne lakshya ke prati atoot samarpan' — 'extraordinary skill, years of hard work, and unwavering dedication to one's goal.' He urged all five athletes to continue elevating 'Maa Bharati ka maan' — the honour of Mother India — on world stages.

Para archery to para badminton: India's widening competitive front

The breadth of the haul is the headline within the headline. A single day producing podium finishes in target sport, racquet sport, and two track-and-field formats signals that India's para-sport pipeline is not built around one star or one discipline. Harvinder Singh, who has long been among India's most decorated para-archers at the international level, anchored the doubles gold alongside Vijay Sundi — extending a tradition of archery excellence that has made the discipline one of India's most reliable para-sport medal sources.

Para badminton, meanwhile, has rapidly expanded its footprint in Indian competitive sport over the past decade, with the SL4 classification — standing lower-limb impairment — producing increasingly fierce global competition. Naveen Shivakumar's singles gold adds another chapter to that rise.

World-record athletics and what it means for the next Paralympic cycle

World records in the T64 400 metres and the javelin throw on the same day carry significance well beyond the Asian Para Games podium. World-record performances at a continental games directly strengthen athletes' profiles heading into the next Paralympic cycle, where qualifying standards and seedings are shaped by exactly these global benchmarks. Sandeep's T64 run and Honey's javelin mark now sit in the record books, raising the ceiling for what Indian para athletics can claim as its own.

Political leaders across the spectrum routinely celebrate major international para-sport results — but the specificity of Choudhary's post, naming all five athletes and their individual events, reflects a broader shift: para athletes are no longer footnoted in India's sporting conversation. They are the headline.