Nagoya, October 2026 : Indian para-judoka Kapil Parmar clinched a bronze medal in the men’s J1-70kg category at the 2026 Asian Para Games on Monday, defeating Indonesia’s Rafli Ahnaf Shidqi by ippon in just one minute and nine seconds at the Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall.
The victory marked one of India’s early medal-winning performances on the opening day of the continental competition and offered Parmar a strong response after his semifinal defeat earlier in the day. The Paris 2024 Paralympic bronze medallist, ranked eighth in the world, overcame the 17th-ranked Shidqi to secure a place on the podium.
Parmar began his campaign with a demanding quarterfinal against Mongolia’s Baatarsuren Bat-Erdene. The Indian judoka prevailed by ippon after four minutes and 53 seconds of action during the golden-score period, booking his place in the semifinals.
However, his pursuit of a place in the gold-medal contest ended when Indonesia’s Junaedi defeated him by ippon in the semifinal. Parmar regrouped for the bronze-medal bout and produced a decisive performance, finishing Shidqi in 69 seconds.
The achievement adds to the growing list of accomplishments of the athlete from Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, who has competed in para-judo since 2017. Competing in the J1 category for athletes with visual impairments, Parmar has emerged as one of India’s leading judokas under coach Munawar Anzar Ali Siddiqui.
His career highlights include bronze at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, silver at the previous Asian Para Games in Hangzhou and gold at the 2019 Commonwealth Judo Championships. He has also won multiple International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Grand Prix titles and seven national gold medals.
Parmar’s contribution to Indian sport was recognised with the Arjuna Award for 2024–25. He is also part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), which supports athletes identified for high-performance competition.
His bronze in Aichi-Nagoya adds to India’s medal tally as the country’s para-athletes compete across disciplines. The opening day also saw Indian athletes secure medals in athletics, shooting, swimming and judo, while several competitors progressed to the semifinals in para-table tennis and para-badminton.
Asian Para Games 2026: India’s Day 1 Results
Gold Medallists
| Athlete | Event | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Mona Agarwal | Women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 | Gold medal |
| Nishad Kumar | Men’s long jump T47 | 7.11 metres |
| Soumya | Women’s 1500m T12/T13 | 5:12.39 |
| Rinku | Men’s javelin F46 | 65.11 metres |
Silver Medallists
| Athlete | Event | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Avani Lekhara | Women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 | 249.6 points |
| Ajeet Singh | Men’s javelin F46 | 65.02 metres |
| Radha Venkatesh | Women’s 1500m T12/T13 | 5:30.90 |
| Kokila | Women’s judo J2 -52kg | Silver medal |
| Ravi Karthik Budigina | Men’s 100m freestyle S13 | 56.68 seconds |
Bronze Medallists
| Athlete | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Kapil Parmar | Men’s judo J1 -70kg | Defeated Rafli Ahnaf Shidqi by ippon in 1:09 |
| Ravanni Valasanaini | Women’s 1500m T11 | Bronze following Rakshitha Raju’s disqualification |
Notable Results
| Athlete(s) | Sport and Event | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Bhavina Patel | Para-table tennis, women’s singles Class 4-5 | Reached semifinals; assured of a medal |
| Prachi Pandey | Para-table tennis, women’s singles Class 6 | Reached semifinals; assured of a medal |
| Sonalben Patel | Para-table tennis, women’s singles Class 3 | Reached semifinals; assured of a medal |
| Nitesh Kumar and Thulasimathi Murugesan | Para-badminton mixed doubles SL3-SU5 | Reached semifinals; assured of a medal |
| Nitesh Kumar | Para-badminton men’s singles SL3 | Beat South Korea’s Joo Dongjae 21-13, 21-15 |
| Ruthick Ragupathi | Para-badminton men’s singles SU5 | Beat Thailand’s Somsiri Pricha 21-12, 21-12 |
| Sheetal Devi | Para-archery, women’s compound qualification | Equalled the world record with 704/720 and set an Asian record |
| Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar | Para-archery mixed team | Set a world record |
Other Indian Results
| Athlete | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Kapil Kumar | Men’s 100m freestyle S10 | Fourth, 59.69 seconds |
| Ajay Hindurao Bhosale | Men’s 100m freestyle S10 | Sixth, 1:01.92 |
| Jaspreet Kaur | Women’s para powerlifting up to 45kg | Fourth |
| Swaroop Unhalkar | Men’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 | Fourth |
India’s opening-day performances combined podium finishes with promising results in several other events. With athletes advancing in para-table tennis and para-badminton, and records being equalled or broken in para-archery, the Indian contingent will look to build on its early momentum as competition continues through October 24.
