India finish Asian Para Games with record 114 medals; Sumit Antil leads javelin sweep

India ended its campaign at the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with a record 114 medals, comprising 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze, after a strong final day of competition on Friday.

The tally beats India's previous best from the Hangzhou edition, which stood at 108 medals, including 27 gold, after three medals were withdrawn over doping cases. Notably, India achieved the new mark with a contingent of 168 athletes, roughly half the size of the squad it sent to Hangzhou. ThePrint reported India was fourth on the medal table, a position that could still change with a few events remaining.

A golden final day

India won nine gold medals on Friday, its best single-day return of the Games. Sumit Antil defended his title in the combined men's javelin F42-44/61-64 event with a throw of 72.46 metres, leading an Indian clean sweep with Mahendra Gurjar and Sandip Sanjay Sargar.

Haney won the men's javelin F37/38 gold with 60.49 metres, which was reported as a world record in his class, while Sandeep took the men's 400m T64 gold. Pranav Soorma set a Games record of 32.87 metres to win the men's club throw F51.

In shooting, Mona Agarwal won the women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 gold with a world-record score, her second gold of the Games. In para-badminton, Nitesh Kumar beat compatriot Pramod Bhagat in the men's singles SL3 final, and Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manasi Joshi won women's doubles gold. Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi claimed the men's recurve doubles title in para-archery.

Athletics leads the way

Athletics produced 65 of India's medals, 12 more than in the previous edition, while swimmers contributed 11. Jehan Dorab Madan, 50, became the country's oldest medallist of the Games with a table tennis doubles bronze.

Paralympic Committee of India president Devendra Jhajharia called crossing 100 medals "a proud moment for Indian para-sports". The result adds momentum for India's para athletes ahead of the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles.