Aichi-Nagoya, October 2026 : Indian athletes delivered an outstanding performance at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Japan on Friday, with Henny winning gold in the men's javelin throw with a world-record performance and Sandeep clinching the top spot in the men's 400 metres. Ajay Kumar added a bronze medal in the same race, giving India a double podium finish. The day's achievements also saw the Indian contingent cross the significant milestone of 100 medals at the continental para-sports event.
India's success extended across athletics and archery, with athletes producing medal-winning performances in track and field events and team competitions. The gold medals won by Henny and Sandeep were among the day's major highlights, strengthening India's campaign at the Games.
Henny Wins Javelin Gold With World-Record Throw
Henny claimed the gold medal in the men's F37/F38 combined javelin throw event with an impressive effort of 60.49 metres. The throw was reported as a world record, earning him 1,116 Raza points and securing the top position.
His performance stood out as one of India's most significant achievements on Friday, demonstrating the country's growing competitiveness in para-athletics.
The F37/F38 event brings together athletes from different classifications in a combined competition. Consequently, medal positions are determined using a points-based system that accounts for the athletes' respective classifications, rather than distance alone.
Iran's Hormoz Seidikajponji won the silver medal with a personal-best throw of 50.68 metres, earning 1,009 points. China's Yu Chengjie secured bronze with a throw of 53.66 metres, which earned him 943 points.
Although Yu recorded a greater distance than the Iranian athlete, Seidikajponji finished ahead in the final standings because of the points awarded under the combined-event scoring system.
The classification-adjusted points are therefore essential to understanding the final results. Henny topped the standings with the highest score, earning India another gold medal at the Games.
India's success continued on the track, where Sandeep won gold in the men's combined 400m event after clocking 52.28 seconds.
Competing at his first Asian Para Games, Sandeep produced a memorable performance, with his timing reported as a world-record effort in his classification.
The combined race featured athletes from the T44 and T64 categories. Sandeep competes in T44, while fellow Indian athlete Ajay Kumar belongs to the T64 classification.
Although athletes from both categories competed in the same event, their individual classifications remain important when recording and comparing performances.
Sandeep's victory added another major achievement to India's athletics campaign and highlighted the country's strength in para-track events.
Ajay Kumar Claims Bronze for India's Double Podium Finish
Ajay Kumar completed the 400m race in 53.61 seconds to finish third, securing the bronze medal alongside Sandeep's gold.
Saudi Arabia's Noor Al-Sana won silver with a timing of 53.13 seconds.
The presence of two Indian athletes on the podium made the event particularly rewarding for the national contingent. Sandeep's victory and Ajay's bronze provided India with two medals from the same final.
India also secured medals in other athletics events on Friday. Nimisha Chakkungalparambil won silver in the women's long jump T47 category with an effort of 5.37 metres.
Pramod Bijarnia added another silver medal in the men's 1,500m event, further strengthening India's contribution to the athletics medal tally.
The performances across sprinting, middle-distance running and field events underlined the breadth of India's para-athletics campaign.
Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi Win Archery Gold
Indian archers also delivered a gold-medal performance on Friday. Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi won the men's recurve doubles title, defeating China's Yun Duo and Zhao Lishue 5-1 in the final.
After the opening set ended level, the Indian pair won the next two sets to secure the championship.
Their victory added to India's medal count and demonstrated the contingent's competitiveness beyond athletics.
In the women's recurve doubles final, however, India's Bhavana Chaudhary and Pooja Jatyan had to settle for silver after losing 0-6 to their Chinese opponents.
The contrasting results in the two recurve doubles finals gave India another gold and silver combination in archery.
India Crosses 100-Medal Mark at Asian Para Games 2026
The combined achievements in javelin, track events, long jump, middle-distance running and archery helped India reach the 100-medal milestone at the Asian Para Games 2026, according to updates available on Friday morning.
Henny's world-record javelin throw, Sandeep's 400m triumph and India's double podium finish in the same race were among the day's major highlights. The archery gold won by Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi further added to the celebrations.
With the competition continuing in Aichi-Nagoya, India's overall medal tally and position in the standings may change as more events conclude.
Nevertheless, the performances recorded on Friday marked an important stage in India's campaign, reflecting the determination and competitive ability of its para-athletes and archers on the continental stage.
