Dubai, December 11 (HS): India’s young para swimmer Abdul Qadir Indori delivered a stellar performance at the Asian Youth Para Games 2025, clinching two gold medals. Indori secured first place in both the 50m Butterfly and 50m Backstroke events, marking a proud moment for Indian para sports.

The Paralympic Committee of India applauded his achievement on X, stating, “A golden achievement for India! This reflects his hard work, discipline and the rising potential of India’s young para athletes. Congratulations, Abdul!”

Meanwhile, the opening ceremony of the Asian Youth Para Games 2025 was held in Dubai on Wednesday, showcasing cultural performances and participation from young para athletes across Asia.

Iran, which topped the medal tally in the previous edition (Bahrain 2021) with 51 gold medals, has once again sent the largest contingent with 195 athletes, highlighting its strong commitment to youth development and para sports.

According to the Asian Paralympic Committee, Uzbekistan (124), Thailand (122) and India (122) have sent the next biggest delegations. Host nation United Arab Emirates (UAE) is participating with 55 athletes, reflecting its efforts to grow para sports and promote inclusion in the region.

Dubai is hosting the Games for the second time after 2017, strengthening its position as a major hub for para sports in Asia. Iran, the defending champion, is aiming to retain its top spot this year as well.

Several top Asian para athletes are also participating, including Iran’s para taekwondo star Zahra Rahimi, silver medallist at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, and Chinese Taipei’s Chen Po-Yen, ITTF World No. 1 and Paris 2024 Class 11 silver medallist.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar