India exploded onto the Asian Para Games stage, grabbing 11 medals—four golds, five silvers, two bronzes—in its first day of action. The haul catapulted the country to fourth place in the overall medal standings, a solid start to the competition.
Mona Agarwal turned a sixth‑place start into a record‑setting triumph, firing 250.0 points in the women's 10m air rifle SH1 to overtake Avani Lekhara by a razor‑thin 0.4. The performance not only secured India its first 1‑2 finish of the day but also earned a second quota spot for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.
Nishad Kumar's long‑jump gold was a storybook moment – 7.11m cleared twice, a personal best that outpaced Uzbekistan's Omadbek Khasanov's 6.99m. The 2‑time Paralympic silver medalist, who lost his right arm in a childhood accident, made history as India's inaugural long‑jump champion on an international stage.
Soumya's 1500m T12/T13 victory clocked a personal best of 5:12.39, completing a second 1‑2 finish as compatriot Venkatesh Radha settled for silver. Meanwhile, Rinku Singh's javelin throw of 65.11m claimed gold, with Ajeet Singh just a whisker behind at 65.02m, both setting season bests and cementing another 1‑2 finish.
Kokila Sharma took silver in the women's J2‑52kg judo, while Kapil Parmar earned bronze in the men's J1‑70kg after a hard‑fought playoff. On the swim deck, Ravi Karthik Budigina finished 56.68 seconds for silver in the men's 100m freestyle S13, leaving Uzbekistan's Egor Bolotov untouched at 52.90. The day’s tally now reads four golds, five silvers, and two bronzes.
With the momentum building, India looks to the next day’s events—particularly the track finals and swimming heats—to keep the medal count climbing.