India has begun its medal campaign at the fifth Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, fielding its largest-ever contingent for the event. With 281 members — including 168 athletes — India is targeting a strong start across para athletics, para swimming, para powerlifting, para archery and para shooting.
India’s largest para squad
The Sports Ministry cleared a 281-member contingent for the Games: 168 athletes (112 men and 56 women), 98 team officials and support staff, and 15 contingent staff. India is entered in 11 disciplines, with boccia added to the list after the initial approval covered 10 sports. Paralympic Committee of India CEO Rahul Swami is the Chef de Mission, with Parul Mahajan Oberoi as his deputy.
Familiar names lead the squad. Tokyo Paralympic badminton champion Pramod Bhagat, table tennis star Bhavina Patel, archers Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag, shooters Avani Lekhara and Mona Agarwal, javelin thrower Sumit Antil and badminton player Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj are among the athletes India will count on for medals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent his good wishes to the contingent, saying the country takes great pride in its para-athletes and urging them to compete with confidence.
Day one medal hopes
Paralympic medallists Nishad Kumar and Ajeet Singh Yadav, along with world champion Rinku Hooda, lead India’s challenge in para athletics on the opening day of competition. Indian athletes are also expected to contend for podium finishes in para swimming and para powerlifting.
In para archery, seasoned campaigners Harvinder Singh and Sheetal Devi, along with Payal Nag, look to make a strong start to their campaigns and secure early medals, while Swati Chaudhary competes in the W1 category. In para shooting, Avani Lekhara leads the country’s challenge as Indian athletes aim to add to the medal tally.
The Hangzhou benchmark
The record to beat is formidable. At the previous edition in Hangzhou, India won 111 medals — 29 gold, 31 silver and 51 bronze — its best haul ever at the Asian Para Games. At the send-off ceremony in New Delhi, officials spoke of a target of around 100 medals this time. Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told the athletes they had already won through life’s toughest journey, while PCI president Devendra Jhajharia said he expected the team to set new benchmarks.
Matching Hangzhou will not be simple. The field in Japan includes 45 participating countries and regions, with hosts Japan and China traditionally dominating the medals table. But the squad’s depth — fresh from India’s sporting highs such as the women’s T20 Asia Cup triumph over Pakistan and Neelam Obi’s rise as Arunachal’s Ranji captain — suggests a campaign with real promise.
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