Puri hails Pranav Soorma's Asia Record Gold at Asian Para Games 2026
Synopsis
Pranav Soorma won gold with a new Asia Record of 11.66m in Men's Discus Throw F51/52/53 at Asian Para Games 2026, while Ram Ratan Singh took silver, completing an Indian double podium. Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri celebrated the feat on X.
Key Takeaways
Pranav Soorma won gold in Men's Discus Throw F51/52/53 at Asian Para Games 2026 with a new Asia Record of 11.66 metres .
Ram Ratan Singh secured silver in the same event, giving India a full 1-2 podium finish.
Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri congratulated both athletes on X on 20 October 2026 .
The Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) was tagged alongside the Paralympic Committee of India , highlighting its support role in para sports.
The double podium reflects India's growing competitive depth in seated para athletics events at the continental level.
A new Asia Record. A double podium. And India's para athletes are delivering moments that demand attention. Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri took to X on Tuesday, 20 October 2026 to congratulate Pranav Soorma on striking gold with a new Asia Record of 11.66 metres, and Ram Ratan Singh on securing silver — both in the Men's Discus Throw F51/52/53 event at the #AsianParaGames2026.
Soorma's 11.66m throw rewrites the Asia record books
Pranav Soorma's gold-winning throw of 11.66 metres did not just top the podium — it set a new Asia Record in the F51/52/53 classification, a combined category for seated discus throwers with varying degrees of upper-limb and trunk function impairment. Breaking a continental record at a multi-nation Games is the kind of performance that marks an athlete as one of the continent's best, not just on that day, but in the history of the event.
Puri's post described it as 'another record breaking performance and a double podium finish' — the word 'another' signalling that this is part of a pattern, not an isolated flash.
Ram Ratan Singh's silver completes an Indian 1-2
Ram Ratan Singh followed his compatriot onto the podium with a silver medal in the same event, turning an Indian gold into a full 1-2 finish. A national double podium in a para athletics final is rare, and it underscores the depth India is building in seated throwing events. Minister Puri tagged both the Paralympic Committee of India (@PCI_IN_Official) and the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (@pspbmedia) — the latter a reminder that government-linked sports bodies play a quiet but consistent role in para athlete support.
Why ministers cheer — and why it matters
Indian cabinet ministers across portfolios have made a habit of amplifying para athlete victories on social media, part of a broader government push to frame para sports as a vehicle for national pride and inclusion. For athletes who have historically competed in the shadow of their able-bodied counterparts, that visibility carries real weight. The Paralympic Committee of India, the national body governing para sports participation, has been central to channelling athletes into international pipelines like the Asian Para Games. When a petroleum minister posts 'Cheer4Bharat' — the official cheer hashtag — it reflects a deliberate institutional effort to mainstream para athletics into the national conversation.
Two athletes, one event, one Asia Record, and a podium swept. India's para contingent is making a statement at Asian Para Games 2026 — and the country is listening.
Point of View
Not just individual brilliance. Minister Puri's tagging of the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board alongside the Paralympic Committee of India is a subtle but telling detail — it reveals how government-linked sporting bodies are embedded in para athlete pipelines well below the public radar. The broader pattern of cabinet ministers amplifying para victories is a deliberate reputational strategy, weaving disability sport into the mainstream national-pride narrative. If India sustains this medal momentum through the Games, it will strengthen the case for enhanced institutional investment in para athletics infrastructure.
NationPress
20 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What record did Pranav Soorma set at the Asian Para Games 2026?
Pranav Soorma set a new Asia Record of 11.66 metres in the Men's Discus Throw F51/52/53 event at the Asian Para Games 2026, winning the gold medal.
What medal did Ram Ratan Singh win at Asian Para Games 2026?
Ram Ratan Singh won the silver medal in the Men's Discus Throw F51/52/53 event at the Asian Para Games 2026, completing an Indian 1-2 finish alongside gold medallist Pranav Soorma.
What is the F51/52/53 classification in discus throw?
The F51/52/53 classification covers seated discus throwers with varying degrees of upper-limb and trunk function impairment, competing together in a combined para athletics event.
Why did Hardeep Puri mention PSPB in his congratulations post?
Minister Hardeep Singh Puri tagged the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB), a government-linked body that supports athletes across various sports disciplines, signalling its role in backing para athletes like those competing at the Asian Para Games.
Who governs para sports participation for India at the Asian Para Games?
The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) is the national body responsible for governing para sports and managing India's participation in international events including the Asian Para Games.
