Indian athlete Haney set a world record of 60.49m to win javelin gold at the 2026 Asian Para Games. India has reached 102 medals, showcasing exceptional performances in athletics, para badminton, and archery during the Aichi-Nagoya event.
Haney Shatters World Record to Claim Gold
Indian para-athlete Haney shattered the world record with a throw of 60.49 metres to win gold in the men’s javelin throw F37/38 event at the 2026 Asian Para Games on Friday, adding to India’s growing medal haul at the continental showpiece. Haney produced his record-breaking effort in his final attempt to secure the top spot on the podium, capping a remarkable performance in Japan. The gold came two days after he had won bronze in the men’s F37 discus throw with a personal best of 57.04 metres.
His latest achievement added to a productive day for the Indian contingent, which had already reached the milestone of 100 medals on Friday after para-athlete Sandeep set a world record in the men’s 400m T64 event. Sandeep clocked 52.28 seconds to win gold, surpassing the previous T44 world record held by Saudi Arabia’s Nour Alsana by more than half a second. India’s Ajay Kumar also secured bronze in the event with a time of 53.61 seconds.
India’s Dominance in Badminton and Archery
India’s medal charge on Day 5 also featured gold medals in para badminton and para archery. Nitesh Kumar defeated compatriot Pramod Bhagat 21-18, 21-16 in the men’s singles SL3 final to win gold, while Pramod took silver. Naveen Sivakumar claimed another badminton gold by beating Indonesia’s Fredy Setiawan 21-9, 21-17 in the men’s singles SL4 final. In para archery, Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi defeated China 5-1 to win gold in the men’s recurve doubles event.
Medal Count and Future Ambitions
India also added silver medals through Thulasimathi Murugesan in women’s singles SU5 badminton, Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan in women’s singles SH6, Parmod Bijarnia in men’s 1500m T46 athletics, Nimisha Suresh in women’s long jump T47 and the women’s recurve doubles pair of Pooja Jatyan and Bhawna Choudhary. The Indian men’s doubles Class MD4 para table tennis pair of Jehan Madan and Shubham Wadhwa also secured bronze.
India now have 102 medals, comprising 26 gold, 33 silver and 43 bronze medals and are fourth in the standings, with China leading the table with 344 medals at the time of writing. India are now aiming to surpass their best-ever Asian Para Games tally of 111 medals, achieved at the Hangzhou edition in 2023, with competition continuing in Aichi-Nagoya. (ANI)
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