Asian Para Games: India bag 17 medals, including 3 gold

Prachi Yadav became the first Indian to win a para canoe gold in the Asian Para Games as she led the country's medal rush for the second consecutive day in Hangzhou on Tuesday.

India won 17 medals on Tuesday, including three gold, taking the total tally to 34 in the first two days of competition. India had won 17 medals, including six gold, on Monday.

India ended Day 2 placed fifth in the standings, one spot down from Monday, with nine gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze, behind China (165: 66 gold, 53 silver, 46 bronze), Iran (47), Japan (45) and Uzbekistan (38).

Prachi, who had won a silver in canoe VL2 category on Monday, bagged her second medal of the Games as she picked up a gold in KL2 event.

Deepthi Jeevanji (women's T20 400m) and Neeraj Yadav (men's F54/55/56 discus throw) were the other gold medal winners on Tuesday.

Sharath Shankarappa Makanahalli won the men's T13 5000m event and his gold was initially counted and included in India's medal tally. But the number of India's gold medals was reduced to nine as there were only two competitors in the event.

Under the Asian Paralympics Committee rulebook, it is up to the technical delegate to award medals in cases where there are less than three competitors.

The 28-year-old Prachi, who is paralysed below the waist, clocked 54.962 to cover the 500m distance and win gold in the KL2 event, meant for athletes who propel themselves with their arms and partial trunk and leg function. She hails from Gwalior.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi appreciated the medal-winning efforts of the Indian athletes in a series of tweets.

"Congratulations to @ItzPrachi on winning the prestigious Gold Medal win in the Para Canoe Women's KL2 event. This was such an exceptional performance, which has made India proud. Best wishes for the endeavours ahead," Modi said on X, acknowledging the stupendous effort of Prachi.

Deepthi then won a gold in women's T20 category 400m race -- meant for athletes with intellectual impairment -- with the Games and Asian record timing of 56.69 seconds.

Indians swept all the three medals in men's F54/55/56 discus throw event with Neeraj Yadav winning the gold with the Games and Asian record distance of 38.56m. Yogesh Kathuniya (42.13m) and Muthuraja (35.06m) were second and third respectively.

Ravi Rongali (men's F40 shot put), Parmod (men's T46 1500m),  Ajay Kumar (men's T64 400m) and Simran Sharma (women's T12 100m) clinched a silver each from the track. Rakesh Bhaira picked a bronze in men's T46 1500m event.

In para shooting, Rudransh Khandelwal and Manish Narwal bagged a silver and bronze respectively in the P1 men's 10m air pistol SH1 event while Rubina Francis bagged a bronze in the P2 women's 10m air pistol SH1 category.

The bronze medal winners on the day were Manish Kaurav (men's KL3 canoe) -- who is the husband of Prachi --, Ashok (men's 65kg powerlifting), Gajendra Singh (men's VL2 canoe) and Ekta Bhayan (women's F32/51 club throw).

India picked up a whopping 17 medals, including six gold, on the first day of competition with star shooter Avani Lekhara leading the way.

Besides Avani (women's R2 10m air rifle standing SH1), the other gold winners on Monday were Pranav Soorma (men's F51 club throw), Shailesh Kumar (men's T63 high jump), Nishad Kumar (men's T47 high jump), Ankur Dhama (men's T11 5000m) and Praveen Kumar (men's T64 high jump).

India is being represented by 313 athletes at the Hangzhou Para Asian Games, the most in any edition, with a target of winning 100 medals.