Nishad Kumar, Rinku Hooda win Asian Para Games athletics golds for India

India won two para-athletics gold medals on Monday, October 19, 2026, the second day of the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Nishad Kumar won the men's long jump T47 with a best leap of 7.11 metres, in what reports described as his first long jump competition at a major international event. Later the same day Rinku Hooda won the men's javelin F46 with a throw of 65.11 metres, and fellow Indian Ajeet Singh Yadav took silver with 65.02 metres, giving India a one-two finish.

The Asian Para Games are the biggest multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities in Asia, held once every four years after the Asian Games. For India, they are a key test of how far its para-sport programme has come, and the results feed into the build-up to the next Paralympic Games. The two golds on day two came in field events, which have been among India's most reliable sources of medals in para athletics.

Nishad Kumar's win stands out because he is best known as a high jumper. The T47 class is for athletes with an impairment affecting one arm, such as a missing or weakened limb, who compete standing. Switching events at a continental Games and winning at the first attempt is unusual. His series also showed consistency: every legal jump was close to seven metres, and he matched his winning distance in the fifth round, which removed any doubt about the result.

The javelin one-two shows the depth India has in the F46 class, which is for throwers with an impairment in one or both arms. The gap between Hooda and Yadav was only nine centimetres, while the bronze medallist was close to ten metres behind them. That margin suggests India currently has two of the strongest throwers in Asia in this class.

For Hooda, the gold completes a run of medals across three editions: bronze in 2018, silver in 2022 and now gold in 2026. Reports said his preparation this year was disrupted by the death of his mother and by shoulder pain afterwards. In comments reported after the event, he dedicated the result to her, saying: "Every medal is for my mother."

Short-term: The two golds lift India's position on the medal table early in a week-long Games. India still has several days of athletics, shooting, archery and swimming to come before the closing day on October 24, 2026, so the final tally will depend on events still to be held.

Long-term: A long jump gold gives Nishad Kumar a second event to build on alongside the high jump, which could widen his options at future world and Paralympic competitions. The F46 javelin result shows that India has more than one thrower at the top of Asia in the class, which matters for selection and for medal chances at bigger events.

Who is affected: Indian para athletes and their coaches, the national federation that selects teams for world and Paralympic events, young athletes with disabilities who look to medallists as role models, and fans following the Games from India.

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