Gadkari hails Simran Sharma's Gold & Games Record in 200m T12
Synopsis
Para sprinter Simran Sharma won gold in the Women's 200m T12 Final at Asian Para Games 2026 with a Games-record 24.80 seconds. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari hailed her 'phenomenal performance' as a proud achievement for India.
Key Takeaways
Simran Sharma claimed Gold in the Women's 200m T12 Final at the Asian Para Games 2026 .
Her winning time of 24.80 seconds set a new Games record .
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari publicly congratulated Sharma on 20 October 2026 .
The T12 classification is for visually impaired athletes with some residual vision.
The Asian Para Games is a quadrennial multi-sport event for Asian para athletes organised by the Asian Paralympic Committee .
India's para athletics programme gains continental visibility with podium finishes like Sharma's gold.
A new Games record has been written in 24.80 seconds. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday, 20 October 2026 congratulated para sprinter Simran Sharma after she claimed Gold in the Women's 200m T12 Final at the Asian Para Games 2026, smashing the previous Games record in the process.
Gadkari wrote on X: 'Heartiest congratulations to Simran Sharma on winning Gold in the Women's 200m T12 Final with an outstanding timing of 24.80 seconds, setting a NEW GAMES RECORD! Her phenomenal performance reflects exceptional determination, resilience and sporting excellence. A proud achievement for India!'
A sprint finish that rewrote the record books
The T12 classification covers visually impaired athletes with some residual vision, a category that demands not just raw speed but an extraordinary level of trust between athlete and guide. Sharma's 24.80-second run in the 200 metres was enough to clear the gold standard and erase the existing Games benchmark — a double triumph in a single race. For para athletics in India, it is exactly the kind of headline moment that shifts a sport from the margins to the mainstream.Simran Sharma's rise in Indian para athletics
Sharma has been among the most prominent names in Indian para sprinting, building a record of international podium finishes across the short distances. Gold at a continental para Games, backed by a record time, plants her firmly in the conversation ahead of the next Paralympic cycle — and signals that Indian para athletics is no longer merely participating on the Asian stage, it is setting the terms.Why ministers amplify para sport victories
Indian cabinet ministers — and Gadkari among them — have made a consistent practice of publicly celebrating para athletes after major international results. The gesture is more than courtesy: it feeds visibility into a category of sport that still punches below its weight in domestic media coverage and corporate sponsorship. Each high-profile congratulatory post nudges the national conversation toward parity between able-bodied and para sport. With the Asian Para Games organised by the Asian Paralympic Committee and held every four years, moments like Sharma's gold carry extra weight as qualifying-cycle markers for Paralympic selection. India's medal haul and the broader momentum of its para athletes across these Games will be a number to watch when the final tally is drawn up — because behind every gold is a pipeline of talent that either gets built or gets ignored.Point of View
Or remains a social-media milestone.
NationPress
20 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Simran Sharma and what did she win at Asian Para Games 2026?
Simran Sharma is an Indian para sprinter who won Gold in the Women's 200m T12 Final at the Asian Para Games 2026 with a Games-record time of 24.80 seconds.
What is the T12 classification in para athletics?
T12 is a para athletics classification for visually impaired athletes who have some residual vision, typically competing with a sighted guide runner.
What is the Asian Para Games?
The Asian Para Games is a multi-sport event for para athletes from across Asia, organised by the Asian Paralympic Committee and held every four years.
Why did Nitin Gadkari congratulate Simran Sharma?
As a senior Union Minister and public figure, Gadkari congratulated Sharma on her gold medal and Games-record performance at the Asian Para Games 2026, in keeping with the government's broader effort to increase visibility for para sports.
What does a Games record at the Asian Para Games mean for India's Paralympic prospects?
A Games record at the Asian Para Games signals elite competitive form and strengthens an athlete's case for selection in the Paralympic qualification cycle, raising India's profile in international para athletics.
