Asian Para Games 2026: Ayush Verma wins shot put gold as India's tally reaches 38
Ayush Verma claimed gold in the men's shot put F53 at Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
Ayush Verma won gold in the men's shot put F53 at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, throwing 8.16 metres to beat Iran's Alireza Hemami. India concluded the Games with 114 medals.
Key takeaways
- Ayush Verma won gold in the men's shot put F53 with a fifth-throw mark of 8.16 metres.
- He beat Iran's Alireza Hemami, who recorded 8.09 metres.
- Verma also won bronze in the men's javelin throw F53/F54.
- India finished the Asian Para Games 2026 with 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze medals.
- The total of 114 medals was India's record haul at the Games.
Ayush Verma won gold in the men's shot put F53 at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. 16 metres in the seated throwing event. 88 metres.
The Asian Para Games, also known as Para Asiad, is a multi-sport event regulated by the Asian Paralympic Committee held every four years after the Asian Games for athletes with physical disabilities.
The 2026 edition, also known as the 5th Asian Para Games and Aichi-Nagoya 2026, was held from 18 to 24 October 2026 around Aichi Prefecture in Japan. Nagoya was the first Japanese city to host the Asian Para Games.
The event returned to its traditional four-year cycle after the 2022 edition was postponed to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
India's record haul
India concluded the Asian Para Games 2026 with a haul of 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze medals, totalling 114 medals. This surpassed India's previous best of 108 medals achieved at the 2022 Hangzhou Games. The contingent included 168 para-athletes, significantly fewer than the 309 who participated in the previous edition. India finished fourth in the medal standings.
PM Modi meeting
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with members of India's Asian Para Games 2026 team at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi on November 6. He congratulated them on their historic fourth-place finish with a record 114 medals in Aichi-Nagoya.
Ayush Verma, who won gold in the men's shot put F53 and bronze in the men's javelin throw F53/F54 events, called the interaction a unique and encouraging experience. He said, "This was a good experience.
It is great for an athlete to win a medal and it is important for their self motivation but meeting the PM and interacting with him is a unique experience. I feel this is a great encouragement to athletes. This will definitely motivate us for LA.
" The athletes pledged to strive for greater achievements at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games.
Ayush Verma's background
Ayush Verma is an Indian track and field para-athlete from Uttar Pradesh. He represented India in the men's shot put F53 and men's javelin throw F53/54 categories at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya.
He won a gold medal in the men's shot put F53 category and a bronze medal in the men's javelin throw F53/54.
The gold in Japan came just six years after he began his journey in competitive para sports, taking up shot put under the guidance of coach Robin Kumar.
India's Asian Para Games 2026 medal tally
Medal | Count |
|---|---|
Gold | 30 |
Silver | 35 |
Bronze | 49 |
Total | 114 |
Ayush Verma's medals at the 2026 Asian Para Games
Event | Result | Mark |
|---|---|---|
Men's shot put F53 | Gold | 8.16m |
Men's javelin throw F53/F54 | Bronze | 17.88m |
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