India's para-athletes signed off from the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on 24 October 2026 with a record haul of 114 medals — 30 gold, 35 silver, and 49 bronze — the country's finest-ever performance at the continental showpiece. The closing ceremony at Paloma Mizuho Stadium saw the Indian contingent march proudly under the national flag, co-carried by double gold medallist para-shooter Mona Agarwal and high-jumper Nishad Kumar.

Record Tally That Rewrites History

The 114-medal haul surpasses India's previous best of 108 medals at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, where the squad had claimed 27 gold, 32 silver, and 49 bronze. Notably, three of those Hangzhou medals were subsequently revoked following doping violations involving Neeraj Yadav and Parveen, making the 2026 tally all the more credible.

What makes this edition particularly remarkable is the scale of the contingent. India sent just 168 para-athletes to Aichi-Nagoya — considerably fewer than the 309 who competed in Hangzhou three years ago. A smaller squad delivering a larger medal count points to a meaningful improvement in individual athlete depth and preparation.

Para-Badminton Delivers an All-Indian Podium

Among the standout moments of the campaign was a historic all-Indian podium in para-badminton. Paralympic champion Nitesh Kumar defeated world champion Pramod Bhagat 21-18, 21-16 in the men's singles SL3 final. In women's doubles SL3-SU5, Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manasi Girishchandra Joshi beat China's Qiuxia Yang and Zuxian Xiao 21-16, 21-13 to take gold. Thulasimathi also secured silver in women's singles SU5, while Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan claimed silver in women's singles SH6.

World Records and Games Records in Para-Athletics

Haney set a world record of 60.49 metres in the men's javelin throw F37/38, winning gold in the T37 category. Debutant Sandeep struck gold in the men's 400m T64 in 52.28 seconds, setting a world record in the T44 category, before adding a bronze in the men's 100m T44 with a clocking of 11.67 seconds.

India completed a podium sweep in the men's javelin throw F42-F44/F61-F64 final: Sumit took gold in T64 with a throw of 72.46 metres for 1,112 points; Mahendra Gurjar won silver in T42 with a Games-record 59.03 metres; and Sandip Sanjay Sargar claimed bronze in T44 with a Games-record 64.48 metres. Pranav Soorma won gold in the men's club throw F51 with a Games-record 32.87 metres, while Navdeep Singh and Rakeshbhai Bhatt added further bronze medals.

Mona Agarwal, Para-Archery and Table Tennis Milestones

Co-flag-bearer Mona Agarwal capped her Games with gold in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1, scoring 357.5 points to set both world and Asian Para Games records. She also became the first Indian para-shooter to win a medal in the event at the Games.

In para-archery, Harvinder Singh and debutant Vijay Sundi won gold in men's recurve doubles, while Pooja Jatyan and Bhawna Choudhary claimed silver in women's recurve doubles — India's first-ever medal in that event at the Asian Para Games. In para-table tennis, Jehan Dorab Madan and Shubham Wadhwa won bronze in men's doubles Class MD4; at 50 years old, Madan became the oldest Indian medallist at the Games. Para-swimmer Himanshu Nandal rounded off a strong campaign with three bronze medals, including one in the men's 100m freestyle S11 in 1:05.90.

What This Signals for Indian Para-Sport

India's performance in Aichi-Nagoya follows a broader upward trajectory in para-sport that has accelerated since the Tokyo and Paris Paralympic cycles. This is the third consecutive Asian Para Games in which India has improved its medal count, and the first time the country has crossed the 30-gold mark at the Games. With the next edition already on the horizon and several medal-winning athletes still in their competitive prime, expectations for India's Paralympic programme will only grow.