Jakarta: India ended the 2018 Asian Para Games on a high after bagging a total of 72 medals, their best show in the event’s history.
India clinched 15 gold, 24 silver and 33 bronze medals to finish the campaign at the ninth place.
In the last edition in 2014, India had won just 33 medals (3 gold, 14 silver, 16 bronze).
On Saturday, India’s Pramod Bhagat defeated Ukun Rukaendi of Indonesia 21-19, 15-21, 21-14 to clinch the gold medal in men’s singles SL3 class badminton event.
Significantly, athletes falling in the SL3 category generally have impairment in one or both lower limbs and poor walking or running balance.
Meanwhile, para shuttler Tarun Dhillon extended India’s gold tally after defeating China’s Yuyang Gao 21-16, 21-6 in the men’s singles SL4 class, where athletes have a lesser impairment compared to SL 3 and play full-court.
China topped the competition with 172 gold, 88 silver and 59 bronze followed by South Korea (53 gold, 25 silver and 47 bronze) and Iran (51, 42, 43).
–IANS
