Asian Para Games: Deepthi Jeevanji wins 400m T20 gold with Games record

Indian athletes continue to perform well at the Asian Para Games 2026. On October 20, Deepthi Jeevanji won gold in athletics and also set a new Games record. In the women's 400m T20 event she clocked 56.36 seconds to finish first.

It is India's fifth gold medal in this event. It is the country's first gold on the second day.

Deepthi, a bronze medallist at the Paris Paralympics 2024, ran strongly from the start of the race. Her closest challenger was Japan's Nina Kano, whom Deepthi left behind by a margin of more than two seconds. Kano won silver in 58.92 seconds. Japan's Akane Kato took bronze in 1 minute 0.26 seconds.

Deepthi's win has given the Indian contingent fresh energy. It also shows that India's para-athletes are continuing to make their mark at the international level. Congratulating Deepthi on social media, Nitin Gadkari wrote that she won the women's 400m T20 final in a superb time of 56.36 seconds and set a new Games record. According to Gadkari, her performance shows remarkable courage, perseverance and sportsmanship, and it is a proud moment for India.

In para table tennis, India's veteran Bhavina Patel won bronze in the women's singles Class 4-5. In the semifinal, China's Zhang Bian beat her 3-0, winning 11-7, 11-5, 11-7. Bhavina, a silver medallist at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020, was out of the singles event after the defeat. By reaching the semifinal, however, she added a bronze to India's medal tally.

India's medal hopes also remain alive in para badminton. The Indian mixed pair of Pramod Bhagat and Manisha Ramdas reached the semifinals. In the SL3-SU5 quarterfinal, the pair beat Thailand's Chanida Srinavakul and Siripong Teamarrom in straight games, 21-15, 21-14. The match lasted only 25 minutes. By reaching the semifinals, the Indian pair have secured at least a bronze medal. They will now try to upgrade the colour of their medal.

Indian players also did well in archery. In the recurve category, Harvinder Singh and Bhavna reached the quarterfinals. In the compound category, Sheetal Devi, Payal Nag, Toman Kumar and Shyam Sundar Swami made it to the last eight.