Preeti Pal’s 13.98‑second dash in the women’s 100m T35 at Nagoya’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium saw her snatch a silver medal—a second podium finish in a row for the cerebral palsy sprinter.
She edged out Japan’s Yuko Tanaka by 0.12 seconds, with the final lane giving her a clean start. The scoreboard flashed 13.98 as the gold hovered at 13.86, a razor‑thin margin that kept Pal’s hopes alive.
Later that day, Pal sprinted the 200m T35 in 27.45 seconds, earning a second silver. The world record of 27.33 sits just 0.12 behind her time, a reminder of how close she is to breaking the elite mark.
But the triumph is tinged with grief. The medal is dedicated to Chirag Tyagi, her training partner who was shot dead in May. He had been her “younger brother” on the track, pushing her hard on every session.
“I still hear his voice in the stadium,” Pal whispered, tears brightening her eyes. “He’d have taken bronze—or perhaps gold—if he were here.” Coach Gajendra Singh added, “He trained with us every day, never missing a session, and we carry his spirit with us.”
With the Asian Para Games finished, Pal is now eyeing the 2028 Paralympics, where she hopes to convert silver into gold and honor Chirag’s dream of seeing the tricolour rise high.