Asian Para Games: Devender Kumar wins gold as India complete historic 1-2-3 in men’s discus

Devender Kumar leads India’s all-time record 1-2-3 in men’s discus (Image: X) India produced a memorable podium finish at the Asian Para Games with Devender Kumar, Rakesh and Pardeep Kumar claiming gold, silver and bronze respectively in the men’s discus F43/F44/F62/F64 final. Devender led the Indian charge with 781 Raza points while Rakesh finished second with 771 points. Pardeep completed the clean sweep with 669 runs despite scoring the longest throw in the competition.

Devender’s second round seals the gold

Devender secured the gold in the second attempt with a best performance of 49.71 meters. After opening 48.85m, he fouled on his third and fourth throws, managed 45.20 on his fifth, and recorded another foul on his final attempt. His effort in the second round ultimately proved decisive.Rakesh won the silver with 771 points after recording a best throw of 49.35m in the fourth attempt. He started with 47.87m before registering 46.08m in the second round and fouled in the third attempt. Although he was unable to improve on his fourth round effort in his final two throws, it was good enough for second place.

Pardeep takes bronze despite the longest throw

Competing in the F64 classification, Pardeep won bronze with 669 points despite posting a personal best throw of 51.15m in his second attempt. He opened with 46.95m before improving significantly, followed by 50.83m in the third round. His remaining throws measured 46.16m, 48.80m and 47.84m.

How Raza points system works

The event brought together athletes from different classification categories, with the Raza points system determining the final ranking. The system adjusts performances into points to account for differences in disability classification, meaning that the longest throw does not necessarily guarantee the highest result. The Indian trio made the most of the format to secure all three medals in an impressive display.

India enjoyed a record medal tally on Day 2

India enjoyed a landmark on Day 2 of the Asian Para Games, securing a record 24 medals in athletics, para table tennis, shooting, powerlifting and swimming. Highlights of the day included Nishad Kumar’s gold in the men’s high jump T47 with a Games record, Deepthi Jeevanji’s gold in the women’s 400m T20 and Pranav Soorma’s gold in the men’s discus F51/F52/F53. India’s podium finish in the men’s discus added to an impressive medal tally as the country’s para-athletes continued to shine across disciplines.