Daijiworld Media Network - Nagoya

Nagoya, Oct 19: India’s Kapil Parmar clinched a bronze medal in the men’s J1-70kg para-judo event at the 2026 Asian Para Games on Monday, defeating Indonesia’s Rafli Ahnaf Shidqi by ippon in just one minute and nine seconds at the Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall.

The victory marked India’s third medal on the opening day of the competition and provided a strong comeback for Parmar following his semifinal defeat earlier in the day.

The Paris Paralympics bronze medallist, ranked eighth in the world, overcame Shidqi, who is ranked 17th, to secure a place on the podium.

Parmar began his campaign with a hard-fought quarterfinal against Mongolia’s Baatarsuren Bat-Erdene. The Indian judoka secured victory by ippon after four minutes and 53 seconds of action during the golden-score period, advancing to the semifinals with a determined performance.

However, his bid to reach the gold-medal bout ended when Indonesia’s Junaedi defeated him by ippon in the semifinals. Parmar regrouped for the bronze-medal contest and delivered a decisive performance, finishing his bout against Shidqi in just 69 seconds.

The latest achievement adds to the impressive career of the judoka from Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, who has been competing in para-judo since 2017. Classified in the J1 category for athletes with visual impairments, Parmar has established himself as one of India’s leading competitors in the discipline under the guidance of coach Munawar Anzar Ali Siddiqui.

His international achievements include a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, silver at the previous Asian Para Games in Hangzhou and gold at the 2019 Commonwealth Judo Championships. He has also won multiple IBSA Grand Prix titles and seven national gold medals.

Parmar’s contributions to Indian sport were recognised with the Arjuna Award for 2024–25. He is also a Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) athlete, reflecting his importance to India’s para-judo programme.

His bronze medal in Aichi-Nagoya marks another significant milestone in his career and adds to India’s medal tally as the country’s para-athletes continue their campaigns across disciplines at the continental competition.