Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], October 28 (ANI): The Sports Authority of India (SAI), Regional Centre Gandhinagar, organised a felicitation ceremony to honour Indian para-athletes who won medals at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The ceremony recognised their dedication, perseverance and performances, alongside the contributions of their coaches and support teams.

India won 114 medals at the Games, with current and former athletes associated with NCOE Gandhinagar collectively contributing 16 medals. Their achievements reflect the athletes' hard work, sustained coaching and training support available at the centre, according to a release.

Tejalben Amraji Damor won silver in the Women's 400m T12 and bronze in the Women's 200m T12. Prachi Pandey, an NCOE Gandhinagar and Khelo India athlete, secured bronze in the Women's Singles Class 6 para table tennis event. Shubham Wadhwa won bronze medals in the Men's Doubles MD4 and Mixed Doubles XD7 para table tennis events. Among former NCOE athletes, Nimisha won silver in the T46 Long Jump, while Shailesh Kumar secured gold in High Jump and bronze in Long Jump.

The medallists and other NCOE athletes who participated in the Asian Para Games 2026 were felicitated with bouquets. The occasion also acknowledged the role of coaches, support staff and families in their preparation and international success.

Prachi Pandey, para table tennis player, expressed her gratitude for the training and sporting facilities available at SAI. She highlighted that, in addition to sport-specific coaching, athletes receive fitness training, sports psychology support, mental conditioning, yoga and meditation to support their overall development. She noted that these facilities help athletes improve their performance. Prachi thanked SAI officials and the entire team for their support and expressed confidence that better facilities and continuous training would help Indian athletes achieve greater success on the international stage.

Shubham, para table tennis player, shared his sporting journey and explained that returning to sport after a motorcycle accident in 2015 was a major challenge. With the support of his family, coaches and SAI, he continued working towards his goals. He referred to his achievement, as described in his account, of winning two gold medals for India at his first Asian Para Games. Shubham expressed his gratitude to SAI, the Ministry of Sports, his coaches and the support staff. He said his future goals include winning a medal at the upcoming World Championships and delivering strong performances at the Commonwealth Games 2030 and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

Tejalben Amraji Damor, para-athlete, appreciated the contribution of SAI and her coach, Nitin Chaudhary, to her sporting journey. She stated that the facilities and training available at SAI had played an important role in improving her performance. She thanked her coach, the SAI team and her family for their continued support. Tejalben also appreciated the efforts to promote sports and prepare Gujarat to host the Commonwealth Games 2030, expressing hope that India would achieve new milestones on the global sporting stage.

Prashant Singh, Regional Director, SAI Regional Centre Gandhinagar, said, "Our priority is to provide athletes with quality coaching, facilities, nutrition and sports science support to help them achieve their full potential. These achievements reflect their hard work, the dedication of their coaches and the collective efforts of our support staff. We remain committed to strengthening this support as they prepare for future international competitions."

The event was attended by Prashant Singh, Regional Director, SAI Regional Centre Gandhinagar; Bibhubhushan, Deputy Director, SAI NCOE Ahmedabad; and Smt. Ishpreet Kaur, Assistant Director, SAI Regional Centre Gandhinagar. The officials congratulated the athletes and coaches and appreciated their contribution to para-sports. (ANI)