By Vipul Kashyap
New Delhi [India], October 26 (ANI): Indian Paralympic champion Nitesh Kumar expressed happiness with his twin-medal performance at the Asian Para Games, saying that playing two finals and improving on his past results was great, and he looks forward to doing even better next time around.
Nitesh secured a gold medal in the men’s SL3 singles competition and a silver with Thulasimathi Murugesan in the mixed SL3-SU5 competition. With three gold medals, five silver medals and eight bronze medals, India secured 16 medals at the Asian Para Games in para-badminton.
Speaking to ANI, Nitesh said, “I am feeling very proud after winning a gold medal for the nation. Playing two finals is a matter of pride. I got three medals last time, but I had better results this time. Last time in singles, I got silver, now I have got gold. In mixed, I had got bronze, now I changed the colour to silver. I would do better next time. My family supported me alot. This medal would not have been possible without them. We adjusted to the venue match by match and executed our strategies really well.”
Some of India’s Asian Para Games debutants also expressed happiness with their debut performances and vowed to do better in upcoming competitions.
The women’s singles SL3 bronze medalist Sanjana Kumari said, “I am feeling very proud after winning a medal for the nation. This was my first Asian Para Games, and it is a huge accomplishment for me that I could come so far. The competition in my category is tough. I dedicate this medal to my family and coach Gaurav Khanna sir. I would like to thank SAI (Sports Authority of India) for getting me this far.”
Abhijeet Sakhuja, who secured a men’s SL4 singles bronze, said to ANI, “This was my debut at the Asian Games; I am very happy and grateful to god for this medal. It was difficult, but it was written. There is naturally a lot of pressure on such a big stage. I focused on taking it one match at a time—and even one point at a time. I remained very focused through the quarterfinals. We have been given full support, and the arrangements were really nice there. I dedicate this medal to my family. If it were not for them, I would not have won this medal.”
Also, the men’s doubles SL3–SU5 category bronze medalist Suryakant Yadav vowed to do better next time and dedicated the medal to everyone who supported him. Having sealed medals in Asian and World Championships and Asian Para Games, his next goal is the Asian Para Games.
“This was my debut at the Asian Games, and it feels truly wonderful. I will strive to perform even better next time. I dedicate this medal to my entire family and all my friends who have supported me; it feels great. I won the medal at the Asian and World Championships, and now the next step is Los Angeles Paralympics,” he added.
India concluded its campaign at the Asian Para Games 2026 with a record haul of 114 medals, including 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze, as the country’s para-athletes delivered world-record performances, historic victories and podium sweeps across multiple disciplines.
India surpassed its previous edition’s medal tally of 108, comprising 27 gold, 32 silver and 49 bronze medals. The country had initially won 111 medals at the last edition, but three were subsequently stripped following doping charges against Neeraj Yadav and Parveen.
India’s performance at Aichi-Nagoya exceeded expectations, particularly as the contingent was significantly smaller than the one that competed in the previous edition. A total of 168 para-athletes represented India at the 2026 Games, compared to 309 athletes at Hangzhou. (ANI)
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