Rajnath Singh hails Simran Sharma's 2nd Para Games gold
Synopsis
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated para-sprinter Simran Sharma on winning her second gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games. Sharma claimed the Women's 100m T12 title while setting a new Games Record, continuing India's strong showing at the continental para-sports event.
Key Takeaways
Simran Sharma won the Women's 100m T12 gold at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games , her second gold of the Games.
Her winning performance set a new Games Record in the event.
The T12 classification covers athletes with significant visual impairment who compete with a guide.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh publicly congratulated Sharma on October 21, 2026 .
India's para-athletics programme has seen growing government visibility and support at major continental events.
A Games Record and a second gold medal — Simran Sharma delivered one of the standout performances of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games on Wednesday, October 21, winning the Women's 100m T12 title and etching her name deeper into India's para-athletics story. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was among the first senior government voices to mark the moment, posting his congratulations on X.
Simran's second gold at Aichi-Nagoya
Sharma's victory in the Women's 100m T12 — an event for athletes with significant visual impairment — came with a new Games Record, underlining that this was not a routine podium finish but a performance that reset the benchmark for the continent. It is her second gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya edition of the Games, confirming her status as one of India's most consistent para-sprint performers on the Asian circuit.
Singh described the achievement as 'another golden chapter to India's sporting journey' and extended his best wishes for 'continued success in the years ahead' — language that reflects both pride in the present result and expectation of more to come from the young sprinter.
T12 classification and what a Games Record means
The T12 classification covers athletes who have light perception but cannot recognise the shape of a hand at any distance or in any direction. Competitors in this class run with a guide, making the event a partnership event as much as an individual one. A Games Record at a continental para games signals not just personal best form, but a performance that stands above every previous edition of the competition — a measurable, lasting mark on the sport's history.
India's para-sports moment on the global stage
India's engagement with para athletics has grown significantly over the past decade, with government recognition — through ministerial statements, awards, and financial support — becoming a standard part of the ecosystem around major performances. When a senior cabinet minister posts publicly about a para-athlete's result, it amplifies visibility for the discipline well beyond the sports pages. For athletes competing in events that rarely command prime-time broadcast attention, that visibility matters.
The Aichi-Nagoya Games still have events remaining, and India's medal tally — and the policy response to it — will be worth watching as the competition concludes.
Two golds, one Games Record, and a continent's benchmark reset: Simran Sharma is not finished writing that chapter yet.
Point of View
Ministerial visibility serves a real function. The Aichi-Nagoya Games will test whether that attention translates into concrete post-Games policy support for the athletes who deliver it.
NationPress
22 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Simran Sharma the para-athlete?
Simran Sharma is an Indian para-sprinter who competes in the T12 classification, an event category for athletes with significant visual impairment. She won her second gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games in the Women's 100m T12, setting a new Games Record.
What is the T12 classification in para athletics?
The T12 classification covers athletes who have some light perception but cannot recognise the shape of a hand. Competitors in this class typically run with a guide, making it both an individual and a partnership event.
What are the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games?
The Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games are a continental multi-sport event for para-athletes held in Japan. They bring together competitors from across Asia in a wide range of para-sport disciplines.
Why did Rajnath Singh congratulate Simran Sharma?
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh posted on X to congratulate Simran Sharma on winning the Women's 100m T12 gold medal — her second gold of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games — and noted that she set a new Games Record in the process.
How many gold medals has Simran Sharma won at the 2026 Asian Para Games?
Simran Sharma has won two gold medals at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games, with her Women's 100m T12 victory also setting a new Games Record at the competition.
