Sheetal Devi Leads India’s Golden Surge as Medal Tally Soars at Asian Para Games
India’s para-athletes are turning the Asian Para Games 2026 into another impressive chapter in the country’s growing para-sport story, with a strong medal run across disciplines and Sheetal Devi once again emerging as one of its biggest stars.
Xtratime Webdesk: India’s para-athletes are turning the Asian Para Games 2026 into another impressive chapter in the country’s growing para-sport story, with a strong medal run across disciplines with Sheetal Devi once again emerging as one of its biggest stars.
The fifth edition of the Asian Para Games is being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from October 18 to 24. The Games feature around 3,000 athletes from 45 National Paralympic Committees competing across 18 Para sports. The competition officially opened on October 18 at the Nagoya City Mizuho Athletic Stadium.
India entered Day 4 with 62 medals, including 14 gold, 22 silver and 26 bronze, after a productive first three days. Para-athletics has been the biggest contributor, while badminton, archery, swimming, shooting, table tennis and powerlifting have also added to the country’s haul.
At the centre of India’s campaign is Sheetal Devi. The 19-year-old compound archer has continued to underline why she is regarded as one of the leading names in Indian para sport. She began her campaign by equalling the world record with a score of 704 out of 720 in the compound women’s qualification. She also combined with Toman Kumar to set a new world record in the mixed-team qualification with 1,402 points.
Sheetal then progressed to the women’s compound final, defeating Japan’s Shinohara Aya 145-137 in the semifinal. She was also part of India’s mixed-team success with Toman Kumar, who defeated Indonesia 151-148 to win gold. With gold in both the women’s individual compound event and the mixed-team event, Sheetal completed a memorable double-gold performance at the Games.
Her performances have come to represent something bigger than individual success. With athletes producing medals across several sports, India’s campaign is increasingly reflecting greater depth in para sport. Sheetal’s double gold has become one of the defining highlights of India’s medal surge, as the country looks to carry this momentum into the final stretch before the closing ceremony on October 24.
