Nadda hails Ajay Kumar's Bronze in 400m T64 at Asian Para Games 2026
Synopsis
Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda praised para-athlete Ajay Kumar after he won Bronze in the Men's 400m T64 at the 2026 Asian Para Games, continuing his run of podium finishes after a Silver at the 2022 edition.
Key Takeaways
Ajay Kumar won Bronze in the Men's 400m T64 at the 2026 Asian Para Games .
He previously won Silver at the 2022 Asian Para Games in the same event, making this his second consecutive podium finish.
Union Health Minister J.
Nadda publicly congratulated Ajay on October 23, 2026 .
The T64 classification is for athletes with a single below-knee amputation or equivalent impairment who use a prosthetic running blade.
India has participated in every Asian Para Games since the 2010 Guangzhou edition , with a growing medal record each cycle.
Back on the podium and back in the conversation — Ajay Kumar claimed Bronze in the Men's 400m T64 at the 2026 Asian Para Games on Friday, October 23, drawing a warm public congratulation from Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda, who hailed it as 'another podium finish' for Indian para-athletics.
From Silver to Bronze — Ajay's Para Games journey
Ajay Kumar is no stranger to this stage. At the 2022 Asian Para Games, he stepped onto the podium with a Silver medal in the same event, establishing himself as one of India's reliable performers in the T64 classification — a category designed for athletes with a single below-knee amputation or comparable leg impairment who compete using a prosthetic running blade.
Returning four years later with a medal of any colour is a statement of sustained elite-level performance, a feat that few para-athletes manage across back-to-back editions of a continental Games.
India's expanding footprint in para-athletics
The Asian Para Games, organised by the Asian Paralympic Committee, is a quadrennial multi-sport event and the continent's premier stage for athletes with disabilities. India has fielded a team at every edition since the 2010 Games in Guangzhou, with each successive cycle bringing a broader contingent and a larger medal haul.
Government investment in para-sports infrastructure — dedicated training facilities, participation incentives, and classification support — has grown steadily since the early 2010s, and results like Ajay Kumar's underscore the returns on that investment.
Why Nadda's acknowledgement carries weight
A congratulatory post from the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister is more than ceremony. Para-sports visibility in India has historically lagged behind mainstream athletics, and high-profile ministerial recognition — especially from a cabinet member who also heads the ruling party as BJP national president — feeds directly into the broader push to mainstream disability sport in public discourse. Every medal acknowledged at that level is one more data point normalising para-athletics as a prime-time story, not a footnote.
Ajay Kumar has now medalled at consecutive Asian Para Games. The next target is clear: gold at the next edition, and a pathway to the Paralympic stage beyond it.
Point of View
Underpinned by incremental government investment since the 2010s. Ministerial acknowledgement from a figure of J. P. Nadda's political stature signals that para-sport is being consciously woven into India's national sporting narrative — not just its mainstream Olympic calendar. For policymakers, each celebrated result strengthens the case for sustained funding of classification-specific training infrastructure. The next logical step is translating Asian-level consistency into Paralympic medal-round appearances.
NationPress
23 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ajay Kumar the para-athlete?
Ajay Kumar is an Indian para-athlete who competes in the T64 classification — for athletes with a below-knee amputation using a running blade — and is a two-time Asian Para Games medallist in the Men's 400m.
What is the T64 classification in para-athletics?
T64 is a para-athletics classification for athletes with a single below-knee amputation or comparable impairment who compete using a prosthetic running blade in sprint and middle-distance track events.
What medal did Ajay Kumar win at the 2026 Asian Para Games?
Ajay Kumar won a Bronze medal in the Men's 400m T64 at the 2026 Asian Para Games.
What was Ajay Kumar's result at the 2022 Asian Para Games?
Ajay Kumar won a Silver medal in the Men's 400m T64 at the 2022 Asian Para Games, making 2026 his second consecutive podium finish at the event.
When does India compete at the Asian Para Games?
India has fielded a team at every Asian Para Games since the 2010 edition in Guangzhou; the Games are held every four years by the Asian Paralympic Committee.
