India rewrites Asian Para Games record, but not every sport is keeping pace

India finished the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya with a record haul of 114 medals, surpassing the previous best at the continental event. The final tally of 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze medals bettered India’s performance in Hangzhou 2023, when the contingent officially finished with 108 medals after three medals were later stripped for doping violations. The original total in Hangzhou was 111 medals.

The record came despite India sending a smaller contingent of 168 athletes to Japan compared to 309 athletes in 2023. But the total tells only part of the story. A cross-sport comparison shows where India has made significant gains, where its medal tally has fallen and which events were missing from the 2026 program for the Indian contingent.

ATHLETICS DRIVES GROWTH

Para athletics remained the backbone of India’s campaign. The sport delivered 65 medals in 2026, including 22 gold, according to a supplied list of medal winners. This was a marked improvement on the 2023 performance, when India won 53 medals in athletics, including 16 golds, according to published event data.

Several athletes contributed to the improvement. Dilip Mahadu Gavit won gold in the men’s 100m and 400m T47 events, while Pranav Soorma topped the podium in the discus and club throw events. Nishad Kumar won T47 gold medals in men’s high jump and long jump, adding to his reputation as one of India’s premier para-athletes.

Simran also won both the women’s 100m and 200m T12 titles. Deepthi Jeevanji maintained her place among India’s top performers by winning gold in the women’s 400m T20, while Haney, Rinku and Sachin Sajerao Khilari added more gold medals in the field events.

The depth of the athletic pull was decisive. India collected medals in athletics events, with its athletes contributing the largest share of the country’s total.

ARCHERY LOSES GROUND

Indian para archers won six medals in 2026, one less than the seven listed for Hangzhou in 2023. The latest campaign produced three golds and three silvers compared to two golds, three silvers and two bronzes in the previous edition.

Sheetal Devi remained central to the team’s success. She won the women’s individual gold and was part of the mixed team that won the gold alongside Shyam Sundar Swami, Payal Nag and Toman Jumar. Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi also won gold in the men’s para recurve doubles.

Silver medals came in the women’s compound doubles, the women’s doubles recurve and the women’s W1 event. India did not win a bronze in Para Archery this time, but the three gold medals ensured that the sport still contributed significantly to the overall standings.

BADMINTON SEES A DECLINE

Para badminton’s medal tally dropped from 21 in Hangzhou, according to published data, to 16 in Aichi-Nagoya. India won three gold, five silver and eight bronze in 2026.

Nitesh Kumar won the SL3 men’s singles gold while Naveen Sivakumar won the SL4 men’s singles title. Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manasi Girishchandra Joshi won gold in women’s doubles SL3-SU5, giving India three titles in the sport.

Pramod Bhagat, who won gold in men’s singles in 2023, took silver in SL3 this time. Thulasimathi also collected silver in SU5 women’s singles and mixed doubles alongside Nitesh Kumar. India added bronze medals in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

The drop in the total is remarkable, given that badminton contributed to India’s record in Hangzhou. Nevertheless, the team came back with medals in several categories and three golds.

SHOOTING AND POWERLIFTING SLIDE

India won five medals in para sport shooting in 2026, down from six in 2023. Mona Agarwal led the way, winning gold in both the women’s 10m SH1 air rifle and the women’s 50m 3 SH1 air rifle.

Avani Lekhara won silver in 10m standing air rifle while Manish Narwal won silver in men’s SH1 10m air pistol. Shrishti Arora added bronze in women’s 10m air pistol.

The powerhouses also recorded a smaller return. India won two silver medals in 2026 through Ashoka in the men’s 65kg category and Kasthuri Rajamani in the women’s 67kg category. In 2023, the country won three medals in this sport, including one silver and two bronze.

The totals were lower, but India’s shooting campaign still produced two gold medals through Mona, who was among the country’s top performers in Japan.

SWIMMING AND TABLE TENNIS ADMISSION

Para swimming has seen one of the clearest improvements in India. The country went from a single bronze medal in 2023 to 11 medals in 2026, including three silvers and eight bronzes.

Ravi Karthik Budigina won silver in men’s 100m breaststroke and 100m freestyle S13 events. Kapil Kumar added silver in men’s 400m freestyle S10. Indian swimmers also collected bronze medals in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and individual events.

Para table tennis has also improved. India went from two bronze medals in 2023 to seven in 2026, although the latest haul did not include a gold or a silver. Jehan Madan and Shubham Wadhwa won bronze in men’s doubles, while other Indian players secured medals in men’s and women’s singles and mixed doubles.

These gains helped offset some declines in archery, badminton, shooting and powerlifting. In particular, swimming contributed much more to the overall ranking than it did in Hangzhou.

EVENTS ARE MISSING IN THE LIST

India’s 2023 medal list also included medals in canoeing, chess, taekwondo and rowing. These sports do not appear in the supplied list for 2026. Their absence should not be taken simply as a drop in results: India did not compete in para canoeing, para rowing, para chess or para taekwondo at the 2026 Games, according to reports ahead of the event.

The difference is important when comparing the two editions. India’s performance in 2026 comes from a smaller pool of athletes and a narrower spectrum of sports, making increases in athletics and swimming particularly significant.

RECORD WITH WARNINGS

India’s 2026 campaign has set a new benchmark for its performance at the Asian Para Games. Athletics brought the largest share of medals, swimming made a significant jump and table tennis improved its return. Meanwhile, badminton, archery, shooting and powerlifting finished with fewer medals than in 2023.

The record result is clear, but the comparison requires caution. India’s original haul of 111 medals in Hangzhou was later revised down to 108 following doping-related disqualifications, and the number of sports in which the Indian contingent participated varied from year to year. The numbers show a stronger overall result in Japan, but not uniform progress across all sports.

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