NEW DELHI: India made a strong start to the Asian Para Games 2026, winning 11 medals, including four gold, five silver and two bronze, on the opening day to occupy fourth place in the overall standings on Monday.
India's four gold medals came through shooter Mona Agarwal, long jumper Nishad Kumar, middle-distance runner Soumya and javelin thrower Rinku. The opening day also saw India register three 1-2 finishes, with compatriots sharing gold and silver in shooting, athletics and javelin.
China dominated the standings, finishing Day 1 with 62 medals, including 26 gold, to establish a sizeable lead over the other competing nations. Hosts Japan were second with 27 medals, including eight gold, while Uzbekistan occupied third place with 23 medals, including six gold.
India followed in fourth place with 11 medals, ahead of Kazakhstan, who had 14 medals, including three gold. South Korea and Iran also won three gold medals each to occupy sixth and seventh positions respectively. Thailand, Indonesia and Mongolia completed the top 10.
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Mona Agarwal topped the podium in the women's 10m air rifle SH1 final, setting an Asian Para Games record of 250.0 points. She edged compatriot Avani Lekhara, who won silver with 249.6 points, to give India its first 1-2 finish.
Nishad Kumar won gold in the men's T47 long jump with an effort of 7.11m, while Soumya claimed the women's 1500m T12/T13 title in a personal-best 5:12.39. Venkatesh Radha took silver in the same event, completing India's second 1-2 finish.
Rinku secured India's fourth gold in the men's F46 javelin throw with a season-best 65.11m. Ajeet Singh took silver with 65.02m, giving India its third 1-2 finish of the day.
Silver and bronze medals add to India's tally
Kokila won silver in the women's J2 -52kg judo event, while Kapil Parmar claimed bronze in the men's J1 -70kg category. Ravi Karthik Budigina added another silver in the men's 100m freestyle S13 para swimming event.
Ravanni Valasanaini secured bronze in the women's 1500m T11, clocking a personal-best 5:41.85.
India also had encouraging results beyond the confirmed medal tally. Sheetal Devi matched the world record in the women's compound archery qualification round, while Indian athletes in table tennis and badminton reached the semifinals to assure the country of further medals.
India will look to build on its fourth-place standing as the competition continues, with China setting the early pace and Japan and Uzbekistan occupying the other two podium positions in the medal table.
Asian Para Games 2026 Medal Tally: Top 10 nations after Day 1
Rank | Nations | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
1 | China | 26 | 20 | 16 | 62 |
2 | Japan | 8 | 6 | 13 | 27 |
3 | Uzbekistan | 6 | 10 | 7 | 23 |
4 | INDIA | 4 | 5 | 2 | 11 |
5 | Kazakhstan | 3 | 5 | 6 | 14 |
6 | South Korea | 3 | 3 | 5 | 11 |
7 | Iran | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
8 | Thailand | 1 | 7 | 4 | 12 |
9 | Indonesia | 1 | 1 | 8 | 10 |
10 | Mongolia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |