With 15 gold, 24 silver and 33 bronze medals, India recorded the best-ever performance at the Para Asian Games 2018 held in Jakarta. With 72 medals, India outclassed its performance of 2014 when Indian sportsmen won 33 medals (3 gold, 14 silver, 16 bronze).
On the last day of the Games, all the medals came in Badminton. In men’s singles SL3 class badminton, India’s Pramod Bhagat defeated Ukun Rukaendi of Indonesia 21-19, 15-21, 21-14 to clinch the gold medal. Manoj Sarkar won the bronze in this category. Athletes in the SL3 category generally have impairment in one or both lower limbs and poor walking or running balance. Athletes with cerebral palsy, bilateral polio or loss of both legs below the knee compete in half-court (lengthwise) to minimise the impact of their impairment.
Tarun Dhillon won the gold for India in the men’s singles SL4 class by beating Yuyang Gao of China 21-16, 21-6. The SL4 class athletes have a lesser impairment compared to SL 3 and play full-court. The players in SL4 category have impairment in one or both lower limbs, unilateral polio or mild cerebral palsy fall.
The doubles pair of Manoj Sarkar and Pramod Bhagat won the bronze in Men’s Doubles SL 3-4 and the pair of Anand Kumar Bore Gowda and Nitesh Kumar won the bronze in Men’s Doubles SL 3-4.
China were at the top of the pecking order with 172 gold, 88 silver and 59 bronze followed by South Korea (53 gold, 25 silver and 47 bronze) and Iran (51, 42, 43).
