Rajnath Singh hails Haney's world-record javelin gold
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
A javelin soaring past every mark ever recorded in the F37/38 category — and a gold medal arriving with it. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took to X on Friday, October 23, 2026, to congratulate para-athlete Haney on a world-record performance in the Men's Javelin Throw F37/38 event at the Asian Para Games 2026.
The throw that rewrote the record books
Haney's winning effort did not just claim the top spot on the podium — it erased the existing world record in the event, making the gold all the more emphatic. The F37/38 classification covers athletes with coordination impairments affecting one side of the body, a category that demands exceptional technique alongside raw power. A world record in this discipline signals not just individual brilliance but a leap in the standard of Indian para-athletics on the continental stage.
Rajnath Singh's message and what it signals
Singh wrote: 'A record-breaking throw that brings Gold to India! Congratulations to Haney on winning the Gold Medal with a world-record performance in the Men's Javelin Throw F37/38 at the Asian Para Games 2026. May this remarkable achievement inspire many more milestones in Indian para-sports.' The message, brief as it is, carries institutional weight — a senior Cabinet minister publicly anchoring para-sports achievement as a matter of national pride.
India's rising footprint in para-athletics
Indian para-sports have grown significantly in visibility and government attention over the past decade, with dedicated funding streams, coaching support, and high-profile recognition becoming routine after major international results. The Asian Para Games, organised by the Asian Paralympic Council, serve as a key proving ground for athletes building toward the Paralympics. A world record at this stage typically signals a genuine medal contender for the global stage. Haney's performance adds to a pattern of Indian throwers punching at the highest level in para-athletics.
Every world record is a dare left on the track for the next generation. If Haney's throw at the Asian Para Games 2026 does what these moments are supposed to do, India's para-javelin pipeline just got a lot more crowded — and a lot more exciting.