Featured image: AI-generated illustration of sporting medals; it does not depict the event’s official medal design.
India opened its Asian Para Games 2026 campaign with 11 medals in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Monday, October 19. Four gold, five silver and two bronze medals came across shooting, athletics, judo and swimming, giving the contingent several podium finishes on the first day of competition.
Akashvani News confirmed the 11-medal total in its evening report. The Times of India placed India fourth in the opening-day standings. The results included Indian gold-and-silver finishes in the women’s air rifle event, women’s 1500m T12/T13 and men’s F46 javelin.
Mona Agarwal and Avani Lekhara deliver a close shooting finish
Mona Agarwal won the women’s 10m air rifle SH1 final with 250.0 points, a new Asian Para Games record. Avani Lekhara took silver with 249.6, leaving just 0.4 points between the two Indian shooters.
Their strong performance began in qualification. The New Indian Express reported that Mona topped the round with 629.1 points, another Games record, while Avani qualified second with 626.4. Mona’s final-round victory added to the bronze she won at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
The Indian Express reported that Mona had been sixth after the second series of the final before moving up through the elimination stages. In a post-event interview, she credited her family’s support and dedicated the gold to her late grandmother. Avani told the newspaper that their close competition helps both shooters improve.
Three athletics gold medals, with narrow margins in javelin
Nishad Kumar secured the men’s T47 long jump title with a best effort of 7.11 metres. The Times of India reported that he achieved that distance twice and finished ahead of Uzbekistan’s Omadbek Khasanov, whose best was 6.99 metres.
Soumya won the women’s 1500m T12/T13 event, with Radha Venkatesh taking silver. The reported times were 5:12.39 for Soumya and 5:30.90 for Radha. The combined event was decided using classification-based points, so the finishing times alone do not explain the final medal order.
In men’s F46 javelin, Rinku’s 65.11-metre throw earned gold. Ajeet Singh followed with 65.02 metres for silver, a difference of nine centimetres. Ravanni Valasanaini added bronze in the women’s 1500m T11 event.
Judo and swimming complete the opening-day tally
Kokila won silver in the women’s J2 −52kg judo event, while Kapil Parmar took bronze in the men’s J1 −70kg division. Those two medals extended India’s podium presence beyond the shooting and athletics arenas.
Ravi Karthik Budigina earned silver in the men’s 100m freestyle S13 swimming event. The Times of India reported his time as 56.68 seconds, behind Uzbekistan’s Egor Bolotov, who won in 52.90 seconds. Together, the judo and swimming results completed the reported tally of four gold, five silver and two bronze medals.
Official recognition and the next stage of competition
The Prime Minister’s Office separately confirmed Mona’s gold and Games record in a congratulatory update on October 19. The opening-day results provide a starting point for India’s campaign; the medal standings can change as further events conclude.
Reporting note: This report brings together results available on October 19 evening. Event scores and classifications are attributed to the sources below.
Sources: Akashvani News; The Times of India results report; The New Indian Express shooting report; The Indian Express interview; Prime Minister’s Office.
