Simran Sharma equals Games record to win women's 200m T12 gold in Nagoya

Simran Sharma won the women's 200m T12 final at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya on Monday, clocking 24.80 seconds to equal the Asian Para Games record set by Iran's Hajar Safarzadeh in the heats. She took the gold medal in the event's final.

Sharma, who was India's flag bearer at the Asian Para Games, ran the race with her guide Shivam. Safarzadeh finished second with a time of 25.02 seconds to take silver, while India's Tejalben Damor claimed bronze. Sharma's winning time matched the mark set earlier in the competition by Safarzadeh.

The winner said she had struggled with fatigue and recovery during her stay in Japan, and that the limited variety of food for the vegetarian sprinter had left her relying on daal and rice. Commenting on pushing through those challenges, she told reporters after the race: "It's okay. We are Indians. We push ourselves." Despite the difficulties, the report described her run in the final as a powerful performance.

Simran was born prematurely and has a visual impairment, factors noted in accounts of her life. Her father, Manoj Sharma, suffered prolonged illness and later died; he remained a source of inspiration even while battling health problems. Her mother managed the household and supported the family through those difficult times.

She first showed athletic ability at school, where she competed in several events and won medals, but financial constraints limited her access to quality coaching and training facilities. That situation changed after she met Gajender Singh, an Army soldier and fellow athlete who recognised her potential. Gajender became her coach and later her husband, and he provided emotional and financial support for her athletic ambitions.

One defining moment in her career came at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships, where she competed while uncertain about her father's health; he died shortly after her return. She channelled her grief into her sport and subsequently qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Since Tokyo, she has continued to establish herself among India's leading para-athletes.

Her gold in the 200m T12 contributed India's seventh gold medal to the country's tally at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya. She had carried the responsibility of being India's flag bearer at the Games before adding this medal to her career achievements.