Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], October 19 (ANI): Indian para-athletes will look to build on their impressive opening-day performance as they compete across multiple disciplines on Day 2 of the ongoing 5th Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Tuesday.
India began its campaign with 11 medals, including four gold, five silver and two bronze, to sit fourth in the overall medal standings. The Indian contingent will aim to add to its tally, with several prominent athletes competing in medal events across para athletics, para swimming, para shooting, para table tennis, para powerlifting and para archery.
Two-time Paralympic silver medallist Nishad Kumar will be among the major attractions in para athletics as he competes in the men’s high jump T45/T46/T47 final at 4:05 PM IST. Nishad won gold in the men’s long jump T47 event on the opening day, making his second-day appearance another key event to watch.
India will also have strong representation in track and field, with Preeti Pal competing in the women’s 200m T35 final at 3:23 PM IST. Rinku Hooda’s fellow javelin competitors Ayush Verma and Pradeep Kumar will take part in the men’s javelin throw F53/F54 final at 5:40 AM IST, while Rakesh Bhai Bhatt will compete in the men’s long jump T37/T38 final at 5:45 AM IST.
Other Indian athletes in medal events include Praveen Sharma in the men’s shot put F11 final at 6:30 AM IST, Parveen Kumar in the men’s discus throw F57 final at 6:35 AM IST, and Deepthi Jeevanji in the women’s 400m T20 final at 6:53 AM IST.
Suchitra Parida will compete in the women’s javelin throw F55/F56 final at 1:35 PM IST, while Pranav Soorma and Ram Ratan Singh will feature in the men’s discus throw F51/F52/F53 final at 1:40 PM IST. Sujith Mandalamkunnath will take part in the men’s 100m T13 final at 2:24 PM IST.
India will also have multiple medal prospects in the evening session. Hokato Sema and Soman Rana will compete in the men’s shot put F56/F57 final at 3:35 PM IST, followed by Devender Kumar, Pardeep Kumar and Rakesh in the men’s discus throw F43/F44/F62/F64 final at 4:17 PM IST. Anjanaben Rohit Bumbadiya and Jayanti Behera will compete in the women’s 200m T45/T46/T47 final at 4:37 PM IST.
In para swimming, Ravi Veera Venkata Bhavan Budigina will compete in the men’s 400m freestyle S13 final at 1:30 PM IST, while Himanshu Nandal will feature in the men’s 400m freestyle S11 final at 1:39 PM IST. Suyash Narayan Jadhav and Niranjan Mukundan will contest the men’s 200m individual medley SM7 final at 3:32 PM IST, while Devanshi Satija will compete in the women’s 100m backstroke S10 final at 4:06 PM IST.
Para shooting will see Manish Narwal, Nihal Singh and Rudransh Khandelwal compete in the men’s P1 10m air pistol SH1 event, with qualification scheduled for 6:30 AM IST and the final at 8:40 AM IST, subject to qualification. Bhakti Sharma, Rubina Francis, Srishti Arora and Sumedha Pathak will participate in the women’s P2 10m air pistol SH1 event, with qualification at 6:30 AM IST and the final scheduled for 10:30 AM IST, subject to qualification.
Para table tennis will also provide India with medal opportunities, with Sonalben Patel, Bhavinaben Patel, Prachi Pandey and Baby Sahana Ravi scheduled to compete in their respective women’s singles semifinals during the morning session. Their gold medal matches are scheduled for 11:30 AM IST, subject to qualification.
In para powerlifting, Ashok will compete in the men’s up to 65kg final at 8:30 AM IST, while Jhandu Kumar will contest the men’s up to 72kg final at 1:00 PM IST. Suman Devi and Seema Rani will compete in the women’s up to 61kg final at 2:30 PM IST.
Para archery will feature several Indian athletes in individual and team elimination rounds. Harvinder Singh, Vijay Sundi, Pooja, Bhawna, Toman Kumar, Shyam Sunder Swami, Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag are scheduled to compete in their respective individual events, beginning with the round of 16 at 4:45 AM IST. Subsequent quarterfinals and semifinals will depend on qualification.
The Indian archers will also feature in mixed-team and doubles events, including Sheetal Devi and Toman Kumar in the compound mixed-team quarterfinal, Harvinder Singh and Bhawna in the recurve mixed-team quarterfinal, and several men's and women's doubles contests throughout the day.
In para badminton, India’s leading players will continue their campaigns across singles and doubles events. Manisha Ramadass and Pramod Bhagat will compete in the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 quarterfinal at 5:30 AM IST, while Krishna Nagar and Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan will feature in the mixed doubles SH6 group-stage match at 6:10 AM IST.
Pramod Bhagat, Nitesh Kumar, Umesh Vikram Kumar, Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj, Hardik Makkar and several other Indian shuttlers will be in action in their respective singles and doubles matches. India will also face Iran in the men's blind football preliminary round at 11:30 AM IST.
In para judo, Renuka Narayan Salve is scheduled to compete in the women's J1 -70kg quarterfinal at 6:30 AM IST, with subsequent rounds and medal bouts dependent on qualification. In boccia, Anjali Devi will play her pool matches in the individual BC3 women's event at 8:10 AM and 2:15 PM IST.
India will also be represented in para cycling, with Arshad Shaik competing in the men's 1000m time trial qualifying round at 8:30 AM IST and the final at 12:26 PM IST, subject to qualification.
With medal events spread across the day and several established Indian para-athletes in action, India will look to maintain its momentum and strengthen its position in the overall standings as the continental competition progresses. (ANI)
Asian Para Games 2026: Nishad Kumar, Preeti Pal lead India’s Day 2 medal hopes
