Navdeep and Rakesh Bhatt Win Bronze Medals at Asian Para Games

Nagoya, October 23: Indian para-athletes Navdeep Singh and Rakesh Bhatt each won bronze medals at the Asian Para Games. Navdeep claimed his medal in the javelin throw, while Rakesh secured his in the men's 200m T37 race.

Navdeep, the 2024 Paris Paralympic gold medallist, threw a best distance of 42.55 metres in the men's javelin throw F40/F41 event. He achieved that mark on his second attempt and placed third overall. Four of his other throws were fouls. Gold went to Iran's Bet Sadegh with 45.78 metres, and silver went to Indonesia's Anasyari, who threw a personal best of 43.55 metres.

The medal adds to a growing list of achievements for Navdeep, who hails from Panipat in Haryana. He finished fourth at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics and at the 2023 Asian Para Games. He has also excelled at the World Para Athletics Championships, winning silver in 2025 and bronze in 2024, after finishing fourth in 2023.

In the 200m T37 final, Rakesh was competing at the Asian Para Games for the first time. He started well but was passed by Saudi Arabia's Ali Alnakhli, who clocked 23.32 seconds for gold and a new Asian Para Games record. Indonesia's Saptoyogo Purnomo finished second in 23.45 seconds. Rakesh completed the race in 23.64 seconds to take bronze.

Hailing from a village in Gujarat, Rakesh entered para-sports with a clear aim of sharpening his abilities as a competitive runner. His involvement in athletics has given him the opportunity to pursue his sporting goals at higher levels.