Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday, 5 November 2026, credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for India's remarkable transformation in para-sports, pointing to the country's climb from a single gold medal at the 2010 Asian Para Games to 30 gold medals and a total of 114 medals at the 2026 edition as the clearest evidence of sustained government investment in the sector.

Mandaviya was speaking to reporters following PM Modi's personal interaction with India's Para Asian Games contingent at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi — a meeting that athletes and officials described as deeply motivating.

From 15th to 4th: India's para-sports leap

'In 2010, India won just one gold medal at the Asian Para Games. We had finished 15th in the standings. From there, we have now reached fourth position with 114 medals, including 30 gold. Our para-athletes have performed exceptionally well,' Mandaviya told reporters after the event.

The turnaround over roughly 16 years is striking by any measure. India's podium tally has grown across successive Games, with the 2026 performance representing the country's best-ever finish at the continental para-sports championship.

Government schemes credited for the shift

Mandaviya attributed the gains to a cluster of central government initiatives launched under PM Modi, including the Fit India Movement, the Khelo India programme, the Khelo Bharat Niti (National Sports Policy), and the Sports Governance Act. He also cited a ₹36,000 crore outlay channelled through the Khelo India scheme and a five-year sports development plan as structural pillars of the ecosystem overhaul.

'Under the leadership of PM Modi, the country is changing and moving forward. A New India is being built, and the sports sector has also emerged as an important area of transformation,' he said.

Para-athletes 'received same respect as other athletes'

Beyond the policy architecture, Mandaviya highlighted the symbolic significance of the Prime Minister's direct engagement with para-athletes — an aspect that resonated strongly with the contingent.

'All our athletes were very happy and excited. They had the feeling that para-athletes were receiving the same respect as other athletes. They were getting equal respect and equal encouragement,' he said, adding that PM Modi shared his thoughts personally with the para-athletes during the interaction and that they 'appreciated it immensely.'

Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse echoed the sentiment, saying that the visible improvement in India's performance across international competitions over the last six to seven years was a direct consequence of the Prime Minister's emphasis on sports promotion. 'Our para-athletes do not just play; they serve as a powerful motivation for all the youth,' Khadse said.

Paralympic Committee chief flags coaching challenge

President of the Paralympic Committee of India, Devendra Jhajharia, praised PM Modi for personally welcoming medal-winners — a practice, he noted, that had become a consistent feature across events such as the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, and Paralympics.

'He is a Prime Minister who has tremendously boosted the morale of the players,' Jhajharia said, adding that the Prime Minister had specifically acknowledged coaches during his speech — a rare gesture that Jhajharia said was especially meaningful given the particular demands of training para-athletes. 'Training para-athletes is a major challenge, yet they provided that training along with world-class facilities, and thanks to those facilities, we won 30 gold medals and a total of 114 medals,' he said.

What comes next

With India having established itself among the top four nations at the 2026 Asian Para Games, attention will now shift to the build-up towards the next Paralympics. The momentum from the 2026 campaign — and the institutional framework underpinning it — will be tested against deeper international competition at the global stage.