Kishan Reddy hails Rinku, Ajeet Singh's Para Games javelin gold-silver
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Two javelins, two medals, one golden Tuesday for India. Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 congratulated para-athletes Rinku and Ajeet Singh after the duo swept the podium in the Men's Javelin F46 event at the 2026 Asian Para Games — Rinku claiming gold with a throw of 65.11 metres and Ajeet Singh finishing a whisker behind with 65.02 metres for silver.
65.11m and 65.02m — how close the podium was
The margin between gold and silver was a mere 9 centimetres — a razor-thin gap that nonetheless delivered a clean 1-2 finish for India. The F46 classification covers athletes with impairment affecting arm or hand function, and throwing disciplines in this category demand exceptional core strength, technique, and spatial coordination. Both marks landed north of 65 metres, underlining the competitive quality of Tuesday's final.
India's growing footprint at the Asian Para Games
The Asian Para Games, organised by the Asian Paralympic Committee every four years, has become a key proving ground for India's para-athletics pipeline. Over successive editions, India has fielded progressively larger contingents, and the javelin discipline has been among the standout contributors to the medal tally. A 1-2 sweep in a single event is a marker of depth, not just individual brilliance — it signals that domestic training infrastructure for para athletes is producing multiple world-class performers simultaneously.
Minister Kishan Reddy, who also serves as BJP Telangana state president, called the performances a 'double glory to the nation' — a phrase that captures both the individual achievement and what it means for India's broader para-sports ambitions. '#Cheer4Bharat' — the hashtag attached to his post — has become a rallying call for Indian sports supporters across major international competitions.
What the sweep signals for the 2028 Paralympics road
A podium lock-out at the Asian Para Games carries real strategic weight. It feeds directly into athlete rankings, qualification pathways, and national selection confidence ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics. For Rinku and Ajeet Singh, Tuesday's performances put them firmly on the international radar. For Indian para-athletics as a whole, it is a statement that the country can compete — and dominate — in field events at the continental level.
India's para-sports story is being written one throw at a time. Today, that story landed 65 metres away — and it landed gold.