Nagoya: India clinched a double podium finish in the women’s 200m T12 category, with Paralympic medallist Simran Sharma winning gold and debutant Tejalben Damor bagging bronze on Tuesday.
Simran set a new Games record with 24.80 seconds to secure a podium spot, finishing ahead of Iran’s Hajjar Safarzadeh, who recorded 25.02 seconds.
Simran, a Paris Paralympic 2024 bronze medallist in the T12 category and a world champion in the 100m, improved from silver in Hangzhou 2022 (26.12 seconds) to gold in 2026, improving her time by 1.32 seconds.
Tejalben, a visually impaired T12 para-athlete from Gujarat, also delivered a commendable performance, securing third place with a time of 25.23 seconds and achieving a personal best (PB).
Simran’s career features a Paralympic bronze medal in the 200m T12 event and a 4th-place finish in the 100m T12 at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, alongside two silver medals at the Asian Para Games (2022/2023).
She has also delivered stellar performances on the world stage, winning multiple medals at the World Para Athletics Championships—including gold and silver in 2021, gold in 2019, gold in 2024, and both a gold (100m T12) and a silver (200m T12) in 2025.
On the other hand, Tejalben began her para-sports journey in 2022, and she has steadily progressed through dedication and hard work, specialising in sprint events and earning recognition for her performances on the track.
Her commitment to athletics has brought her significant success, including a gold medal in the Women’s 200m T12 at the Dubai Para Athletics Grand Prix in September 2026, where she clocked an impressive 25.47 seconds.
Earlier, India bagged a double podium finish in the Men’s Javelin Throw F53 with Pradeep Kumar winning silver and Ayush Verma securing bronze at the Asian Para Games here on Tuesday.
Pradeep, competing in the F54 category, produced a personal best of 27.45m on his final attempt to clinch silver. In contrast, Ayush, competing in the F53 category, recorded his personal best of 17.88m in his fifth throw to claim bronze, earning enough Raza points to secure his position despite the shorter distance.
This is Pradeep’s second silver in men’s javelin at the F54 Asian Para Games, after winning silver in the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China. He also won the gold medal at the National Para Athletics Championships in 2026.
(IANS)
