New Delhi is set to turn its attention to a group of athletes who produced one of the finest performances in Indian sport this year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet India’s Asian Para Games contingent on Thursday, November 5, at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi, in a public acknowledgement of a campaign that ended with a record 114 medals.
The interaction is scheduled for around 4:30 pm. The Prime Minister will also address the gathering, which will include athletes, coaches and officials from the Paralympic Committee of India, the Indian Olympic Association, national sports federations and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
For many of the athletes, this will be their first meeting with the Prime Minister since returning from Aichi-Nagoya in Japan, where India delivered its best ever performance at the Asian Para Games. A total of 97 Indian para-athletes won 114 medals, comprising 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze.
The numbers tell only part of the story. Behind them are years of early mornings, long rehabilitation sessions and adapted training programmes. Thursday’s meeting is therefore not just a ceremony. It is a moment when a record-breaking team gets to stand together and hear its achievement described as part of India’s wider sporting story.
A record that passed the previous best
India’s previous best at the Asian Para Games was 108 medals, including 27 gold, at Hangzhou in 2023. The Aichi-Nagoya team went past that mark on both counts, finishing with 114 medals and 30 gold. It was also the second consecutive edition in which India crossed the 100-medal mark, a sign that the result was not a one-off surge but the product of a deeper bench.
That depth showed across disciplines. India did not depend on one sport to carry the tally.
Where the medals came from
Para-archery contributed six medals, including three gold, and shooting added five medals, with two gold, two silver and one bronze. Para-table tennis brought seven bronze medals, powerlifting added two silver medals, and judo contributed one silver and one bronze.
- Para-athletics: 65 medals, including 22 gold
- Para-badminton: 16 medals, including three gold
- Para-swimming: 11 medals, including three silver
- Para-archery: six medals, including three gold
- Shooting: five medals, including two gold
The names behind the numbers
Javelin thrower Sumit Antil successfully defended his gold medal and was part of a podium sweep, underlining India’s strength in the discipline. Sprinter Simran Sharma won gold in both the women’s 100m and 200m T12 events and set Games records in both, marking her out as one of the standout performers of the campaign.
In shooting, Mona Agarwal won gold in the women’s 50m rifle three positions SH1 event with record scores. India also secured two quotas in shooting for the 2028 Summer Paralympics, a reminder that these Games were not only about medals in Japan but also about qualification pathways for Los Angeles.
There was also a milestone that had little to do with speed or distance. Jehan Dorab Madan, aged 50, became India’s oldest medallist at the Games after winning bronze in para-table tennis. His medal is a useful counter to the idea that elite sport belongs only to the young.
Why Thursday’s meeting matters
Meetings like this one matter for reasons that go beyond photographs and speeches. Para-sport in India has grown through federation support, government schemes, private backing and family sacrifice, but visibility has often lagged behind performance. A meeting at this level puts the athletes in front of a national audience while their achievement is still fresh.
It also sends a practical message to younger athletes and their families: para-sport is a serious path, with structure, recognition and a future.
What comes next for Indian para-sport
The next big marker is the 2028 Summer Paralympics in Los Angeles. The shooting quotas already secured are an early step, but the broader task is to convert a strong Asian Para Games cycle into Paralympic medals against deeper global fields.
Thursday’s interaction, then, is both a celebration and a checkpoint. India finished with 114 medals, 30 of them gold, and a team that crossed 100 medals for a second straight edition. The question from here is not whether this generation can perform, but whether Indian para-sport can keep giving the next generation the same platform.
FAQs
When will PM Modi meet the Asian Para Games contingent?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet the contingent on Thursday, November 5, at around 4:30 pm at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi.
How many medals did India win at the Asian Para Games 2026?
India won 114 medals in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, including 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze. It was India’s best ever performance at the Games.
How many athletes were in India’s contingent?
A total of 97 Indian para-athletes took part in the Aichi-Nagoya edition.
Which sport contributed the most medals for India?
Para-athletics led the way with 65 medals, including 22 gold, followed by para-badminton with 16 medals and para-swimming with 11 medals.
What was India’s previous best at the Asian Para Games?
India’s previous best was 108 medals, including 27 gold, at Hangzhou in 2023.
India’s para-athletes return to the spotlight on Thursday, not with a new target to chase, but with a record to be proud of. The meeting in New Delhi is a fitting pause before the road to Los Angeles begins in earnest.
