India made an impressive start at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on October 19, with para-athletes competing across multiple disciplines. Shooter Mona Agarwal won gold, while fellow Indian shooter Avani Lekhara claimed silver in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event.
Mona secured the top position with a score of 250, setting a new Asian Para Games record. Avani finished second with 249.6 points, matching her previous record. The result gave India a one-two finish in the event.
Mona Agarwal Creates a New Record
Mona delivered a strong performance in the qualification round, recording 629.1 points to set a new Asian Para Games qualification record. She carried that momentum into the final to secure gold.
The achievement marked a major improvement from her sixth-place finish at the 2022 edition. Avani, a two-time Paralympic champion, added another medal to her international record with silver. She also secured a quota place for India at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics.
Sheetal Devi Leads Para Archery
India’s archers also began their campaigns on the opening day. Sheetal Devi was among the key athletes in action in the women’s compound ranking round, alongside Payal Nag.
Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi competed in the men’s recurve ranking round as the Indian contingent looked to establish strong positions ahead of the subsequent rounds.
Busy Schedule Across Multiple Sports
Indian athletes were scheduled to compete in 11 sports on the opening day, including para-athletics, para-badminton, para-swimming, para-powerlifting, para-table tennis and blind football.
Nishad Kumar featured in the men’s T47 long jump final, while Ajeet Singh Yadav and Rinku Hooda were among India’s athletes scheduled for javelin events. Powerlifters Jaspreet Kaur, Manish Kumar and Paramjeet Kumar also had medal opportunities.
In para-badminton, experienced campaigners such as Pramod Bhagat and Nitesh Kumar were among the Indian athletes taking part in their respective matches.
India Targets Another Strong Medal Campaign
India entered the competition aiming to build on its historic performance at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, where the country won 111 medals, including 29 gold.
The 2026 edition runs from October 18 to 24 in Japan. India’s contingent features established Paralympic medallists, world champions and emerging athletes across several sports.
With medals already secured in shooting and more events scheduled throughout the day, India’s opening performances have provided an encouraging start to its campaign. Results from the remaining events will determine the country’s final Day 1 medal tally.
