Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], October 19 : India's two-time Paralympic silver medallist Nishad Kumar clinched gold in the men's T47 long jump at the 2026 Asian Para Games on Monday, winning the event with a best effort of 7.11m in his first international appearance in the discipline.
Nishad, who primarily competes in the high jump, produced a dominant performance to secure India's second gold medal at the Games. His compatriot Ravi Karthik Budigina added to the medal tally by winning silver in the men's 100m freestyle S13 swimming event.
Nishad began the long jump final with an effort of 6.95m before improving to 7.09m in his second attempt. He then registered 7.11m in the third round to take control of the competition.
After a foul in his fourth attempt, the Indian athlete bounced back with another 7.11m jump in the fifth round before closing with 7.07m to seal the gold medal.
Uzbekistan's Omadbek Khasanov won silver with a season-best effort of 6.99m, while Sri Lanka's Mohammadu Safran claimed bronze with a jump of 6.55m.
The gold marked another milestone in Nishad's career. The 26-year-old is a two-time Paralympic silver medallist, having finished second in the men's high jump T47 at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. He also won gold at the 2022 Asian Para Games and became the 2025 World Para Athletics champion with an Asian record of 2.14m in the high jump.
Nishad lost his right hand in a childhood farm accident and took up para-athletics in 2009. His latest achievement highlights his versatility beyond his primary event.
Meanwhile, 18-year-old Ravi Karthik Budigina secured silver in the men's 100m freestyle S13, clocking 56.80 seconds. Uzbekistan's Egor Bolotov claimed gold with a time of 52.90 seconds, while the Indian swimmer delivered the country's first swimming medal at the ongoing Games.
Budigina, who represents Andhra Pradesh, competes in the S13, SB13 and SM13 classifications for athletes with visual impairments and is regarded as one of India's emerging para-swimming talents.
With Nishad's gold and Budigina's silver, India's medal tally at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games rose to six.
Earlier, para-shooters Mona Agarwal and Avani Lekhara won gold and silver, respectively, in the women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 event. India also secured silver through Kokila in the women's J2 -52kg judo event, while Kapil Parmar claimed bronze in the men's J1 -70kg category.
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games are being held in Japan from October 18 to 24.