CM Mohan Yadav hails India's discus gold-silver at Asian Para Games 2026
Synopsis
Pranav Soorma won gold with a new Asia Record of 11.66m and Ram Ratan Singh claimed silver at 10.35m in Men's Discus Throw F51/52/53 at the Asian Para Games 2026, delivering India a historic double podium. MP CM Dr. Mohan Yadav hailed the achievement on X.
Key Takeaways
Pranav Soorma won gold in Men's Discus Throw F51/52/53 at the Asian Para Games 2026 with a new Asia Record of 11.66 metres .
Ram Ratan Singh claimed the silver medal with a throw of 10.35 metres in the same event.
India achieved a rare double podium — gold and silver — in a single para-athletics field event.
The F51/52/53 classification covers athletes who compete from a throwing frame with significant physical impairment.
MP Chief Minister Dr.
Mohan Yadav publicly congratulated both athletes on 20 October 2026 .
India's para-athletics programme has been on an upward trajectory since the 2010s , with field events emerging as a key strength.
India wrote a golden chapter at the Asian Para Games 2026 on Tuesday, 20 October, as para-athlete Pranav Soorma hurled his way to a gold medal with a stunning new Asia Record of 11.66 metres in the Men's Discus Throw F51/52/53 — and compatriot Ram Ratan Singh followed him onto the podium with silver at 10.35 metres. A double podium. One continent-best mark. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav was among the first to celebrate the feat.
Soorma's continental record that reset the bar
Pranav Soorma's throw of 11.66 metres did not merely win a gold medal — it rewrote the Asian record for the F51/52/53 classification, a combined category that includes athletes with significant upper-limb and trunk impairment who compete from a throwing frame. In para-field events, where marginal centimetres carry enormous technical and physical weight, the margin Soorma put on the board signals a performance at the outer edge of the discipline's current global ceiling.
Ram Ratan Singh's 10.35-metre silver ensured India claimed both the top two spots on the podium — a sweep that is rare in any multi-nation continental competition, para or otherwise.
India's rising arc in para-field athletics
The double podium on Tuesday is not an isolated flash. India has steadily built its para-athletics infrastructure since the 2010s, channelling dedicated coaching, specialised equipment, and systematic continental-games participation into a pipeline that is now producing continent-best results. Discus throw across multiple classifications has become one of the country's strongest para-field disciplines, contributing to steadily climbing overall tallies at successive Asian Para Games editions.
The F51/52/53 class — covering athletes who throw seated — demands extraordinary shoulder explosiveness and technical precision with almost no trunk contribution. That Soorma broke the continental record in this discipline underlines how far India's specialised training ecosystem has advanced.
Yadav's salute and the #Cheer4Bharat moment
Posting on X with the tricolour emoji and the hashtags #Cheer4Bharat and #AsianParaGames2026, CM Dr. Mohan Yadav called it 'a remarkable double podium for India' and extended his 'heartiest congratulations' to both athletes. For Madhya Pradesh, where para-sports investment has grown alongside the national programme, the Chief Minister's public salute also carries a state-pride dimension — both athletes compete under the Indian flag, and their success feeds into a broader national narrative about inclusive sporting excellence.
India's final medal count at the 2026 Asian Para Games is still being tallied as competition continues, but Tuesday's gold-silver sweep in discus throw has already given the contingent one of its most complete individual-event performances of the Games.
Two athletes. One arena. A continent-best mark and a double podium — India's para-sports story is no longer one of quiet perseverance. It is one of outright dominance.
Point of View
With specialised coaching and equipment pipelines now producing continent-record performances. For the BJP government and state leaders like CM Yadav, para-sports achievements serve a dual political-diplomatic purpose: they reinforce the 'inclusive India' branding at home while signalling soft-power ambitions abroad. The consistency of Indian podium finishes at Asian Para Games across multiple editions suggests this is a programme trend, not a one-off, and the 2028 Paralympic cycle will be watched closely for whether this continental dominance translates to global hardware.
NationPress
20 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What record did Pranav Soorma set at the Asian Para Games 2026?
Pranav Soorma set a new Asia Record of 11.66 metres in the Men's Discus Throw F51/52/53 event, winning the gold medal.
What is the F51/52/53 classification in para discus throw?
The F51/52/53 classification covers athletes with significant upper-limb and trunk impairment who compete from a fixed throwing frame, making shoulder power and technique critical.
Who won the silver medal in discus throw at Asian Para Games 2026?
Ram Ratan Singh won the silver medal with a throw of 10.35 metres in the Men's Discus Throw F51/52/53 event.
When are the Asian Para Games held?
The Asian Para Games are a continental multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities, held every four years alongside the Asian Games cycle.
Why did Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav congratulate Pranav Soorma and Ram Ratan Singh?
CM Dr. Mohan Yadav posted congratulations on 20 October 2026 after India won gold and silver in the same para-athletics event, calling it 'a remarkable double podium for India.'
