Devender Kumar strikes gold as India complete podium sweep in men's discus throw F44/64

India swept all three medals in the men's discus throw at the Asian Para Games 2026 on Tuesday, with Devender Kumar clinching gold to secure his first international title. Devender topped the F44/64 event with a throw of 49.71 metres, while Rakesh and Pardeep Kumar completed an all-Indian podium with silver and bronze, respectively.

In Short

• India swept all three medals in the men's discus throw at the Asian Para Games
• Devender topped the F44/64 event and won gold with a throw of 49.71 metres
• Devender said his focus was on producing the longest throw possible

India swept all three medals in the men's discus throw F44/64 event at the Asian Para Games 2026 on Tuesday, with Devender Kumar winning gold with a throw of 49.71 metres. Rakesh took silver with 49.35 metres, while Pardeep Kumar claimed bronze despite recording the longest throw of the competition at 51.15 metres.

The standings were decided using the Raza points system, which takes athletes' classifications into account. Devender finished with 781 points, just four ahead of Rakesh, who scored 777. Pardeep collected 669 points for his personal-best effort.

For Devender, the victory was a moment to savour, although he admitted that he had hoped to throw farther. "It feels really good. This is my first international gold medal, and I am very happy," Devender said after the event.

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"I had prepared very well, and I am happy to have finished first. However, I could not produce the throw I had expected. But today was my day, and I am happy that I won a medal for India. Everything worked out well," he added.

Asked about his approach before the competition, Devender said his focus was on producing the longest throw possible. "I was thinking that this was a competition and I had come here to throw as far as possible. That was my focus, and I put in my best effort to achieve that," he said.

Devender also spoke about the adjustments athletes make when competing abroad, including adapting to weather conditions and working on their technique.

"We keep training and learning, both technically and in other aspects. When we travel abroad, we observe different factors, including the weather and things that may affect our training or performance. We assess these challenges and work out how we can improve next time. That process of learning and making improvements continues," he said.

His next target is a medal at the World Championships. "My next target is to win a medal at the World Championships," Devender said.

The Indian athlete also revealed that he wanted to dedicate his medal to his son. "I would like to dedicate this medal to my son," he said.

WHO IS DEVENDER KUMAR?

Devender hails from Kishkanda village in Haryana's Charkhi Dadri district. His father, Dharmender, is an ex-serviceman and a national-level volleyball player. Devender also played volleyball during his early years and went on to compete at the national level.

His sporting journey took a difficult turn when he was 21. Devender and his mother were involved in a serious accident that left him with multiple fractures in his left leg and hip. He underwent surgery and spent two months in hospital.

With support from his family and friends, he gradually returned to sport. His cousin, Sandeep Kumar, introduced him to para-athletics and encouraged him to take up discus throw. Devender began training under his guidance and won gold at the Open Nationals in 2019.

He has since represented India at international competitions, including the World Para Athletics Championships and the Commonwealth Games. He also won gold at the 2022 Asian Para Games and finished sixth at the 2025 World Championships.

DEVENDER KUMAR'S CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

- Gold medal, Asian Para Games 2022
- Sixth place, World Championships 2025
- Fifth place, Fazza World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2022
- Gold medals, Indian Open 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025
- Silver medals, Indian Open 2021 and 2026

WHAT ARE THE F44 AND F64 CLASSIFICATIONS?

F44 and F64 are classifications for para-athletes with lower-limb impairments. F44 athletes compete without a prosthesis, while F64 athletes compete with a prosthesis. In combined events, the Raza points system helps determine the final standings by accounting for athletes' classifications and performances.

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