Sport can be a vehicle of social inclusion for persons with disabilities. Discuss with reference to India's recent performance at international para-sport events.

India won a record 114 medals at the Asian Para Games 2026, its best-ever tally [1], up from just 14 in 2010 [2]. This shows how sport can turn disability from a mark of exclusion into a source of public pride and equal citizenship.

How sport drives inclusion: evidence from India

• Visibility counters stigma: the IPC recognises the Para Asiad as the world's second-largest multi-sport event after the Paralympics [2]. The Prime Minister called the 2026 result a moment of "immense pride" for the nation [1], which presents disability as ability.
• Sustained rise: India's tally grew from 14 medals in 2010 to 72 in 2018, then to 111 at Hangzhou 2022, where India placed 5th [2], and to 114 in 2026 [1].

2010: 14 → 2018: 72 → 2022: 111 (5th) → 2026: 114

India's Asian Para Games medal tally

• Gender inclusion: women won 40 of India's 111 medals (36%) at Hangzhou [2], which links disability inclusion with gender equity.
• Role models: Indian para-athletes set three world records at Hangzhou, including Sumit Antil's 73.29 m in javelin F64 [2].
• Rights and access: the RPwD Act, 2016 treats sport as a right. At the Khelo India Para Games 2023, MYAS and Svayam arranged accessible transport, ramps, toilets and seating for para-athletes [4].

Limits: medals do not equal inclusion

• Weak support system: about 45% of SAI posts are vacant. Some of its 24 NCOEs are not working or have no working hostel [3], and that matters most for athletes with mobility needs.
• Access built for events: accessible arrangements are often made for the Games themselves [4], not for the district grounds where talent first develops.
• Thin oversight: the 2025 parliamentary review of SAI and Khelo India made no separate finding on para-sport [3].
• Plateau: the gain from 111 to 114 medals is small [1][2], and 51 of the 111 Hangzhou medals were bronze [2].

Way forward

• Fill SAI vacancies within six months, as the Standing Committee recommended [3], and reserve a share of coaching posts for trained para-sport coaches.
• Turn NCOEs into residential-cum-educational centres [3], with accessible hostels designed in from the start.
• Add accessibility and para-athlete numbers to the proposed state sports index [3].

India's para-sport success shows that sport can widen dignity, visibility and participation for persons with disabilities. To turn podium finishes into lasting inclusion, accessible facilities at the grassroots and a well-staffed SAI are essential. This would give real effect to the RPwD Act's promise of equal participation and to the spirit of SDG 10 (reduced inequalities).