Gandhinagar: Tejal Damor, a visually impaired sprinter from Gujarat, won bronze in the women’s 200m T12 event at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Japan’s Aichi-Nagoya, recording a personal best on her debut at the continental competition.
The 24-year-old athlete from Dahod district, who trains at the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence (SAI NCoE) in Gandhinagar, clocked 25.25 seconds in the heats to finish second in her race and qualify for the final.
The timing improved on the 25.47 seconds she recorded while winning gold at the Dubai Para Athletics Grand Prix in September.
Damor credited her coach, Nitin Choudhary, for the work that went into her medal-winning performance, saying his commitment to training had been central to her progress.
“First of all, I want to thank my coach. There has been tremendous hard work and discipline behind this medal. Even when Sunday was supposed to be a rest day, my coach never allowed our training to suffer. If we had a training session scheduled, he would be there. I want to thank him before anyone else,” she said.
Reflecting on the challenges she had faced, Damor said she had travelled to the Games determined to return with a medal.
“We came here with great expectations, immense hard work and a strong determination to win. My journey has involved a lot of struggle, but I was determined that whatever the difficulties, I had to return with a medal,” she said.
Damor began her para-athletics career in 2022 and has since competed at national and international events.
She finished sixth at the World Para Athletics Championships in 2025, won gold at the National Championships in 2026 and secured another gold at the Dubai Para Athletics Grand Prix in September.
She trains under Choudhary at SAI NCoE Gandhinagar, where she receives coaching, access to sports infrastructure and other training facilities.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has also extended financial assistance of Rs 2,05,961 towards her sporting preparations under the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition (ACTC).
The bronze medal has given Damor added confidence ahead of the women’s 400m T12 event, which she regards as her main competition at the Games.
She said she and her coach had planned to use the 200m event to build momentum before the longer sprint.
“My main event is the 400 metres, which is coming up next. My coach and I believed that winning a medal in the 200 metres would give us greater confidence for the 400 metres. Now, with this medal, I feel even more confident about giving my best in my main event,” she said.
Beyond her own competitive ambitions, Damor hopes to establish a dedicated running track for visually impaired children in Dahod.
She wants the facility to give children with visual impairments greater opportunities to take up athletics and develop their sporting abilities.
Her bronze medal and personal-best performance mark a significant milestone in her international career as she prepares to compete in the 400m T12 event.
(IANS)
