Aichi-Nagoya, 21 October (H.S.): Indian para-athlete Ayush Verma brought laurels to the country by winning the gold medal in the men’s F53 shot put event at the 2026 Asian Para Games. He secured the top spot with a best throw of 8.16 metres on his fifth attempt, claiming his second medal of the Games. Verma had earlier won bronze in the men’s F53/F54 javelin throw event.

Iran’s Alireza Hemami won the silver medal in the shot put with a throw of 8.09 metres, while Kazakhstan’s Makhambet Serikkaliev secured bronze with an effort of 6.81 metres.

Hailing from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Ayush Verma was born on July 15, 1991. He competes in seated throwing events in the F53 classification. He began his competitive journey in para-sports in 2020 and trained in shot put under the guidance of coach Robin Kumar.

Verma’s achievement added another gold medal to India’s tally at the Asian Para Games. His performance also highlights the growing strength of Indian para-athletics on the international stage.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar