Nagoya, 19 October (H.S.): Indian para judoka Kapil Parmar brought pride to the country on Monday by winning a bronze medal at the Asian Para Games 2026. Hailing from Sehore in Madhya Pradesh, Kapil defeated Indonesia’s Rafli Ahnaf Shidqi by ippon in just one minute and nine seconds in the men’s J1-70kg bronze-medal bout. The contest was held at the Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall. It was India’s third medal on the opening day of the competition.

The Paris Paralympics bronze medallist bounced back impressively after his semi-final defeat to secure a place on the podium. Ranked eighth in the world, Kapil defeated Shidqi, who is ranked 17th, to claim the bronze medal.

To reach the bronze-medal contest, Kapil faced a tough challenge from Mongolia’s Baatarsuren Bat-Erdene in the quarter-finals. The contest remained undecided at the end of regulation time, forcing the judokas into golden score. After a gruelling battle lasting four minutes and 53 seconds, Kapil secured victory by ippon to advance to the semi-finals.

However, his hopes of reaching the gold-medal bout were dashed in the semi-final, where Indonesia’s Junedi defeated him by ippon. Despite the setback, the Indian judoka remained determined and bounced back to win the bronze-medal contest in just 69 seconds.

Kapil Has Been Competing Internationally Since 2017.

Kapil, who competes in the J1 category for athletes with visual impairments, has been active in para judo since 2017. Under the guidance of coach Munawwar Anzar Ali Siddiqui, he has established himself on the international stage.

His achievements include a bronze medal at the Paris Paralympics in 2024, a silver medal at the previous Asian Para Games in Hangzhou and a gold medal at the 2019 Commonwealth Judo Championships. He has also won several titles at IBSA Grand Prix competitions and has been crowned national champion seven times.

In recognition of his outstanding contribution to sport, Kapil received the Arjuna Award for 2024–25. He is also supported under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).

His bronze medal at the Asian Para Games marks another significant achievement for Indian para judo and highlights his resilience in overcoming setbacks to secure a place on the podium.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar