Army para athletes who won six medals at the 5th Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, were felicitated by the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General Dhiraj Seth, in New Delhi on Thursday.

Nine Indian Army para-athletes competed at the Games. Six came home with medals: one gold, two silver and three bronze.

The Army Chief also honoured Simran, wife of Naik Gajender, who won two gold medals at the Games in the 100m and 200m events. Her wins added to India's overall medal tally, and she was felicitated alongside the soldier athletes at the same interaction.

Army para athletes won six medals in athletics and swimming

Subedar Solairaj D won the Army's only gold, in the long jump.

Two silver medals followed. Havildar Rakesh finished second in the discus throw, while Havildar Kapil Kumar took silver in the 400m freestyle swimming event, the only Army medal to come from the pool.

Three soldiers won bronze. Subedar H Hokato Sema finished third in the shot put and Subedar Ajay Kumar won bronze in the 400m on the track. Havildar Pardeep Kumar won bronze in the discus throw, the same event in which Havildar Rakesh took silver, giving the Army two podium finishes in one discipline.

The Para Games followed the Asian Games at the same host region, where Services athletes won a record 27 medals and were felicitated by the Defence Minister in October. Soldier athletes trained under the Army's Mission Olympics Wing were among the medallists there too.

India finished the Games with a record 114 medals

India's final tally stood at 114 medals, with 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze. That passed the country's previous best of 108 medals, set at the 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China.

Simran set a Games record in the women's 200m T12

Simran's 200m gold came in the women's T12 category, the class for athletes with visual impairment. She clocked 24.80 seconds, a new Games record. She added the 100m title for a sprint double, and her two golds were part of India's best haul at the Asian Para Games.

Army Paralympic Node trains soldiers injured in service

Army para athletes come through a rehabilitation system built for soldiers injured in service. The Artificial Limb Centre and the Spinal Cord Injury Centre work with the Army Paralympic Node (APN) to provide specialised medical care, prosthetic support, rehabilitation and structured sports training. According to the Army, this support allows injured soldiers to compete at national and international levels.

The Artificial Limb Centre in Pune was established in 1944. It has worked with the Army's para sports node at Kirkee to fit amputee athletes with running prostheses.

General Dhiraj Seth acknowledged the coaching staff

The Army Chief also acknowledged the coaches and support staff behind the medals. They included athletics coaches Subedar Bibin Dev and Subedar Mortaza, strength and conditioning coach Havildar Avinash A, and Lieutenant Colonel Daljit Singh, Officer-in-Charge of the Army Paralympic Node.