Asian Para Games: Rakshita Raju disqualified due to TR6.9 as Ravanni Valasanani promoted to bronze

Nagoya, October 19 (IANS): India's Rakshita Raju was disqualified from her bronze medal-winning position in the Women's 1500m T11 due to TR6.9 as another Indian, Ravanni Valasanani, was promoted to third place at the ongoing Asian Para Games 2026 in Nagoya on Monday.Rakshita (Guide Tabres Khan) had initially finished third in the race with a time of 5:31.45s, while Ravanni (Guide Rahul Balakrishna) was fourth, having clocked 5:41.85s.However, Rakshita was disqualified due to TR6.9, which means non-compliance in relation to clothing, shoes & bibs. This saw Ravanni get promoted and take the bronze.Ahead of her, China's He Shanshan (Guide Zheng Canran) won the gold with a time of 4:41.19s, while her compatriot Huang Zengli (Guide You Junjie) won the silver with a time of 4:55.54s.A little earlier, India's Soumya and Radha Venaktesh won gold and silver medals, respectively, in the Women's 1500m T12/T13 final. Soumya (with guide Bharath Kumar) took the top prize with a time of 5:12.39s (621 Raza points), while Radha (with guide Govind Solanki) won the silver with a time of 5:30.90s (421 Raza points).Behind them, Japan's Mana Sasaki (T13) won bronze. Although she clocked 5:12.15s, she accumulated 336 Raza points and took the bronze.The Raza point system is a mathematical way to compare and rank athletes from different disabilities on a fair and level playing field.India now have six medals in para-athletics at the ongoing Asiad as Rinku and Ajeet Singh bagged a gold and a bronze, respectively, in the Men's Javelin F46 category. Rinku clinched the gold medal with an impressive throw of 65.11 metres, showcasing exceptional strength, precision, and consistency.Ajeet Singh secured the silver medal with a remarkable throw of 65.02 metres, finishing just 9 centimetres behind his compatriot. His outstanding performance highlighted his determination, competitive spirit, and excellence in para-athletics.Earlier, Nishad Kumar also bagged a gold in the long jump event on debut as he registered a best effort of 7.11m.