Nagoya: India’s para-athletes exceeded expectations to deliver their best-ever performance at the Asian Para Games, finishing with a record 114 medals, including 30 gold, after a strong final-day showing on Friday.
India sent 168 athletes to the Games, nearly half the size of its contingent at the 2023 edition in Hangzhou, where the country won a then-record 108 medals, including 27 gold.
For the first time at this edition, athletics was not the dominant contributor to India’s gold medal tally, with badminton players, archers and shooter Mona Agarwal also making significant contributions on the final day
India finished with 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze medals to sit fourth in the standings, although their final position could change as competitions in some events continue on Saturday. India have no competitors in those remaining finals.
ET BureauThe country won nine gold medals on Friday, its highest single-day tally of the Games, with top finishes in archery, shooting, badminton and athletics.
Athletics remained India’s biggest medal contributor, accounting for 65 medals, 12 more than at the 2023 Games. Badminton players, however, shared the spotlight on Friday, winning three gold medals, including individual titles for Paris Paralympic champion Nitesh Kumar and Games debutant Naveen Sivakumar.