Simran Sharma wins gold, Tejalben bags bronze in 200m T12 at Asian Para Games 2026
Synopsis
Simran Sharma didn't just win gold in Nagoya — she rewrote the Asian Para Games record in the women's 200m T12, clocking 24.80 seconds and slashing 1.32 seconds off her 2022 silver-medal time. Gujarat debutant Tejalben Damor added bronze with a personal best, giving India a rare double podium on the track on a day that also brought two more medals in javelin.
Key Takeaways
Simran Sharma won gold in the women's 200m T12 at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Nagoya , setting a new Games record of 24.80 seconds .
Debutant Tejalben Damor of Gujarat claimed bronze with a personal best of 25.23 seconds , completing a double podium for India.
Simran improved her best by 1.32 seconds from her silver-medal run of 26.12 seconds at Hangzhou 2022 .
Pradeep Kumar (F54) won silver in Men's Javelin Throw with a personal best of 27.45m ; Ayush Verma (F53) claimed bronze with 17.88m .
This is Pradeep's second consecutive Asian Para Games silver in javelin, after Hangzhou 2022 .
Simran Sharma delivered a record-breaking performance at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Nagoya on Tuesday, 20 October, winning gold in the women's 200m T12 category with a new Games record of 24.80 seconds. Debutant Tejalben Damor completed a historic double podium for India, claiming bronze with a personal best of 25.23 seconds.
Simran Shatters Games Record
Simran crossed the finish line nearly a quarter of a second ahead of silver medallist Hajjar Safarzadeh of Iran, who clocked 25.02 seconds. The gold represents a dramatic improvement from her silver-medal run of 26.12 seconds at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games 2022 — a gain of 1.32 seconds in four years, underlining the sharpness of her progression.
Notably, this victory adds to one of Indian para-athletics' most decorated individual portfolios. Simran, a Paris Paralympic 2024 bronze medallist in the 200m T12, also finished fourth in the 100m T12 at Paris. Her world championship haul spans gold and silver in 2021, gold in 2019, gold in 2024, and gold in the 100m T12 alongside silver in the 200m T12 at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships.
Tejalben Damor's Debut to Remember
For Tejalben Damor, a visually impaired T12 sprinter from Gujarat, the bronze on her Asian Para Games debut was a breakthrough moment. She clocked a personal best of 25.23 seconds, bettering her previous competitive best and underlining the rapid progress she has made since entering para-sports in 2022.
Tejalben had signalled her readiness ahead of Nagoya with a gold medal in the women's 200m T12 at the Dubai Para Athletics Grand Prix in September 2026, where she recorded 25.47 seconds. Her Nagoya bronze improves on that mark and confirms her as an emerging force in Indian para-athletics.
Javelin Double Podium Adds to India's Haul
Earlier on the same day, India also secured a double podium in the Men's Javelin Throw. Pradeep Kumar, competing in the F54 category, produced a personal best of 27.45m on his final attempt to win silver. Ayush Verma, in the F53 category, claimed bronze with a personal best of 17.88m on his fifth throw, accumulating sufficient Raza points to hold his position despite the shorter throwing distance of his classification.
This is Pradeep's second consecutive silver in the Men's Javelin at the Asian Para Games, having also claimed silver at Hangzhou 2022. He additionally won gold at the National Para Athletics Championships 2026, making him one of India's most consistent para javelin competitors.
India's Growing Para-Athletics Momentum
Tuesday's four-medal return — spanning track and field — reflects India's deepening bench strength across para-athletics disciplines. This comes amid a broader push to strengthen Paralympic infrastructure following India's record 29-medal haul at the Paris 2024 Games. With the competition still ongoing in Nagoya, India's athletics contingent will look to build further on these results in the days ahead.
Point of View
Not just in the marquee javelin or shot-put events. Tejalben Damor's debut bronze, earned with a personal best, signals that the pipeline is real. The harder question is whether India's para-athletics ecosystem — coaching depth, classification access, and long-term funding — can sustain this trajectory through to Los Angeles 2028, or whether individual brilliance will once again outpace institutional support.
NationPress
20 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What record did Simran Sharma set at the Asian Para Games 2026?
Simran Sharma set a new Asian Para Games record in the women's 200m T12 event, clocking 24.80 seconds in Nagoya on 20 October 2026. This bettered her own previous Games mark and was 1.32 seconds faster than her silver-medal time at Hangzhou 2022.
Who is Tejalben Damor and why is her bronze significant?
Tejalben Damor is a visually impaired T12 para-sprinter from Gujarat who made her Asian Para Games debut in Nagoya. Her bronze with a personal best of 25.23 seconds is significant because it confirms her rapid rise since entering para-sports in 2022 and shows India's growing depth in the T12 sprint category.
What is the T12 classification in para-athletics?
T12 is a para-athletics classification for athletes with visual impairment who have some residual sight, as defined by World Para Athletics. Athletes in this category compete on the track using a guide runner and are eligible for both sprint and middle-distance events.
How did India perform in the Men's Javelin Throw at the 2026 Asian Para Games?
India secured a double podium in the Men's Javelin Throw on 20 October, with Pradeep Kumar winning silver in the F54 category with a personal best of 27.45m and Ayush Verma claiming bronze in the F53 category with a personal best of 17.88m.
What is Simran Sharma's overall Paralympic and world championship record?
Simran Sharma won a bronze medal in the 200m T12 at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and has collected multiple World Para Athletics Championship titles, including golds in 2019, 2021, and 2024, and a gold in the 100m T12 and silver in the 200m T12 at the 2025 championships.
