Ayush Verma Adds Shot Put Gold to His Nagoya Haul as India's Para-Athletes Keep Podium Busy

Ayush Verma delivered another strong performance for India at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games, winning gold in the men's shot put F53 final on Wednesday with a best throw of 8.16 metres. Iran's Alireza Hemami pushed him close but had to settle for silver at 8.09m, while Kazakhstan's Makhambet Serikkaliyev took bronze with 6.81m.

The gold adds to Ayush's growing collection from these Games, having already won bronze in the men's javelin throw F53/F54, where he shared the podium with compatriot Pradeep Kumar, who claimed silver. That result underlined the depth India has built in the seated throwing events, and Ayush's latest medal makes him one of the country's standout performers in Nagoya.

The F53 classification covers athletes with limb deficiency, leg length differences, impaired muscle power or restricted range of movement. Competing in seated throwing events demands significant upper-body strength, coordination and technical precision, along with the consistency to reproduce a big throw under competition pressure. Ayush, who began his para-sports journey in 2020 under coach Robin Kumar, has had to adapt to all of those demands while building his career in the sport.

His progress reflects a broader surge for Indian para-athletics at these Games. Tuesday was a particularly memorable day for the contingent, with Deepthi Jeevanji defending her 400m T20 title, Nishad Kumar securing his second gold of the meet, and Simran equalling a Games record in the 200m T12. Pranav Soorma and Devender Kumar also won gold in the discus throw, with Devender leading a clean sweep of the podium.

Nishad's high jump gold came with a Games record clearance of 2.04m in the T47 category, adding to his long jump T47 title from Monday and making him a double champion in Nagoya. In the men's discus throw F43/F44/F62/F64, India swept all three medals, with Devender Kumar taking gold at 49.71m and 781 Raza points, Rakesh earning silver at 49.35m and 771 points, and Pardeep Kumar claiming bronze with 51.15m and 669 points.

Pradeep Kumar's silver in the javelin came with a personal best of 27.45m, while Ayush's bronze in the same event came via a 17.88m throw. Preeti Pal added a silver in the 200m T35 in 29.53s, finishing behind China's Zhou Xia, who set a Games record of 28.03s. India also picked up two bronze medals in the men's shot put, with Praveen Sharma throwing 13.86m in the F11 event and Hokato Hotozhe Sema finishing third in the F56/F57 category at 14.65m.

For Ayush, the shot put gold is a meaningful step in a career that only began six years ago, and it gives India another medal to celebrate as the Games move toward their closing stages.

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