Aichi-Nagoya, 20 October (H.S.): Indian para-athlete Deepti Jeevanji delivered an outstanding performance at the 2026 Asian Para Games on Tuesday, winning the gold medal in the women’s 400m T20 event in a Games-record time of 56.36 seconds. The victory marked India’s fifth gold medal at the competition and the first gold for the country on the second day of the event.

The Paris Paralympics 2024 bronze medallist dominated the race from the outset. Japan’s Nina Kanno finished second in 58.92 seconds to claim the silver medal. Jeevanji crossed the finish line more than two seconds ahead of her Japanese rival to secure the gold.

With this performance, Jeevanji successfully defended her title and improved on her previous timing. She had clocked 56.59 seconds in 2022, but completed the race in 56.36 seconds this time, improving her earlier mark by 0.23 seconds.

Hailing from Warangal in Telangana, Jeevanji has risen through the training systems associated with Khelo India and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) to establish herself on the international stage. She was spotted at the age of 15 by SAI coach N. Ramesh during a state-level athletics competition. Ramesh subsequently began training her, helping her develop her athletic potential.

Jeevanji made her international debut in 2019, winning a bronze medal at the Asian Youth Championships in Hong Kong. She went on to claim gold medals in the 100m and 200m events at the Khelo India Youth Games in 2020. Through a series of consistent performances, she gradually established herself as a prominent name in Indian para-athletics.

Her major achievements include gold medals at the 2023 Asian Para Games and the 2024 World Championships, where she also set a world record. She subsequently won bronze at the Paris Paralympics in 2024 and silver at the 2025 World Championships.

By winning gold at the 2026 Asian Para Games with a new Games record, Jeevanji has added another significant milestone to an already distinguished career.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar