India's para-athletes have wrapped up their campaign at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Nagoya, Japan with 114 medals, the country's best-ever haul at the event. The 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze medals came from a squad of 168 athletes, and nine of those golds arrived on Friday, October 23, India's best single day of the Games.
The total places India fourth on the medal table for now, although that could shift because a few finals remain on Saturday with no Indian athletes involved. Either way, the numbers tell a story of a para-sport programme that has grown into a medal machine in only a few years.
A record that came from a smaller squad
What makes this tally stand out is the size of the team behind it. India sent 168 athletes to Nagoya, roughly half the contingent that travelled to the previous edition in Hangzhou. Even so, the team went past its earlier best in both total medals and golds.
Athletics did most of the heavy lifting. Indian track and field athletes collected 65 medals, 12 more than they managed at Hangzhou. Swimming, long a weak spot for India, contributed 11 medals including three silvers. Shooting, badminton and archery chipped in with golds at important moments.
Final day: nine golds and three world records
India saved its best for last. Friday's nine gold medals included some of the most eye-catching performances of the whole Games.
Mona Agarwal's world record in shooting
At the Aichi Prefecture General Shooting Gallery, Mona Agarwal set a world record of 357.5 to win the women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1. It was her second gold in Nagoya after she had earlier won the women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 with a Games record score of 250.0, finishing ahead of Avani Lekhara, who took silver.
Sandeep and Haney break world marks in athletics
On the track, Sandeep won the men's 400m T64 in a world-record time of 52.28 seconds, while compatriot Ajay Kumar took bronze in 53.61 seconds, a Games record. In the field, Haney threw 60.49m to win the javelin F37/38 with another world record.
Sumit Antil leads an Indian javelin sweep
Two-time Paralympic champion Sumit Antil won the men's javelin F42-44/61-64 with a throw of 72.46m as India took all three podium spots. Mahendra Gurjar (59.03m) was placed second and Sanjay Sandeep Sargar (64.48m) third, with Gurjar ranked ahead because of the higher severity of his classification, as the combined-class scoring system allows. Pranav Soorma added a gold in the men's F51 club throw with a Games record of 32.87m.
Badminton and archery golds
In para badminton, Nitesh Kumar won the men's singles SL3 final against fellow Indian Pramod Bhagat, 21-18, 21-16, and also took silver in the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 with Thulasimathi Murugesan. Debutant Naveen Sivakumar won the men's singles SL4 by beating Indonesia's Fredy Setiawan 21-9, 21-17. Thulasimathi teamed up with Manasi Joshi to win the women's doubles SL3-SU5 gold, and added a silver in the women's singles SU5.
In archery, Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi won the men's recurve doubles gold by beating a Chinese pair 5-1, while Bhawna Choudhary and Pooja Jatyan took silver in the women's recurve doubles.
India at Asian Para Games 2026: key facts
| Host city | Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan |
| India's total medals | 114 (best-ever) |
| Gold / Silver / Bronze | 30 / 35 / 49 |
| Medal table position | 4th at end of India's campaign |
| Squad size | 168 athletes |
| Athletics medals | 65 (12 more than Hangzhou) |
| Swimming medals | 11 |
| Best single day | October 23 – 9 gold medals |
| World records on final day | Mona Agarwal, Sandeep, Haney |
Other medals worth remembering
Several athletes finished with multiple medals. Swimmer Himanshu Nandal completed a hat-trick of bronze medals with his third-place finish in the men's 100m freestyle S11, clocking 1:05.90. Ravi Budigina left the pool with two silvers and a bronze. On the track, Nimisha Chakkungalparambil won silver in the women's long jump T47, and Parmod Bijarnia took silver in the men's 1500m T46 in 4:09.65.
What this means for Indian para sport
For Indian sports fans, the Nagoya result confirms that the success at recent Paralympics was no flash in the pan. The depth is now visible across classifications: established names like Sumit Antil and Avani Lekhara are still winning, while debutants such as Naveen Sivakumar are already standing on top of the podium.
The jump in swimming medals is especially encouraging, because the pool has traditionally been where Asian powers like China and Japan pull away from India. The athletics haul, meanwhile, shows how well the system of national camps, foreign competition exposure and targeted support has worked for track and field.
The performance also matters for funding and selection. Strong results at a continental event usually translate into more support for athletes under government schemes and better planning for the next Paralympic cycle.
What happens next
The Games conclude in Nagoya after Saturday's remaining finals, after which the final medal table will be confirmed. Attention will then shift to world championships in individual sports and the long road to the next Paralympic Games, where many of these medallists are expected to be India's leading hopes.
For now, the 168 athletes return home as the most successful Indian team in the history of the Asian Para Games, and nine golds on a single day will be a hard act to follow.
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