Anjanaben Bumbadiya wins 400m T47 gold as India also take 400m T12 silver

Anjanaben Bumbadiya won the women's 400m T47 gold for India at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya on Thursday, while Tejalben Damor added a silver in the women's 400m T12 event.

Bumbadiya completed the 400m T47 in 59.97 seconds, the only athlete in the four-runner field to go below one minute. Jayanti Behera finished second in the race in 1:00.65 and Thailand's Sasirawan Inthachot took bronze in 1:02.58. The T47 classification covers athletes with an upper-limb deficiency or impairment affecting one arm, including those with below-elbow or wrist amputations.

The victory carried extra meaning for Bumbadiya, who said: "This is just my second international competition and to have won a gold here gives me immense happiness. All I wanted to do was give my best and I am happy I could do it in this event." The Indian was described as delighted to translate her efforts into a gold medal on the continental stage.

Behera's second place gave India a one-two in the T47 final, providing a notable result for the country's athletics contingent in Nagoya. The pair's finishes occupied the top two positions in the event and together secured the gold and silver for India.

Tejalben Damor continued her run of podium finishes by taking silver in the women's 400m T12 with a time of 57.60 seconds. That marked her second medal of the Games after she won bronze in the women's 200m T12 earlier in the competition, adding to India's returns among visually impaired athletes at the continental event.

The performances contributed to a productive session for India's track athletes, with Bumbadiya's breakthrough gold and Damor's second podium finish at the Asian Para Games strengthening the country's athletics medal tally in Nagoya.