Indian para-javelin thrower Navdeep Singh has credited the training facilities and support at the Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) Stadium in New Delhi for helping him prepare for the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, where he clinched bronze in the men’s F40/F41 javelin throw event.
Navdeep, the Paris Paralympics gold medallist, said training on the stadium’s main track alongside fellow athletes bound for the continental competition helped him acclimatise to the competitive environment and concentrate on his preparations.
India delivered its best-ever performance at the Asian Para Games, finishing fourth in the overall standings with 114 medals, comprising 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze. Para-athletics contributed 65 medals, including 22 gold, 19 silver and 24 bronze.
Navdeep’s bronze medal marked an improvement on his fourth-place finish at the 2022 edition, reflecting his progress on the continental stage.
“Most of us Asian Games-bound athletes, including me, did our preparations at the JLN Stadium for the Asian Games 2026. This allowed us to acclimatise and get the feel. Despite the ongoing Indian Super League football matches, they kept the Asian Games a priority, which I felt was quite impressive, and that supported me,” Navdeep said after his medal-winning performance.
He also highlighted the benefits of dedicated access to the main track, explaining that the arrangements allowed athletes from different disciplines to train without unnecessary delays.
“Sprinters need an empty track, so they got a good chance to train inside it. I majorly train at the SAI Regional Centres in Bengaluru, Sonipat and Gandhinagar, where there is not much crowd and I don’t have to wait for other athletes to finish their throws. This all happened here at the JLN Stadium too. I could focus on my preparations rather than focusing on rotations and waiting for my turn,” he said.
Navdeep also expressed hope of returning to the JLN Stadium for training next season.
SAI JLN Stadium emerges as a key preparation hub:
A total of 14 medallists who trained at the SAI JLN Stadium ahead of Aichi-Nagoya contributed to India’s impressive campaign across track and field events.
The gold medallists included Praveen Kumar in the men’s T64 high jump, Sandeep Kumar in the men’s T64 400m, where he set a world record, Pranav Soorma in the men’s F51 club throw, and Rinku Hooda in the men’s F46 javelin throw.
Sprinter Simran Sharma delivered an outstanding performance, winning gold in both the women’s T12 100m and 200m and setting Games records in both events.
Among the silver medallists, Manjeet secured a podium finish in the men’s F12/F13 javelin throw, while Nimisha Chakkungalparambil won silver in the women’s T47 long jump. Varun Singh Bhati claimed silver in the men’s T63 high jump, Preeti Pal secured silver medals in the women’s T35 100m and 200m, and Ajeet Singh Yadav finished second in the men’s F46 javelin throw.
The bronze medallists included Sandeep Kumar in the men’s T44 100m, Sandip Sanjay Sargar in the men’s combined-classification javelin throw, Navdeep Singh in the men’s F40/F41 javelin throw, and Anubhav Choudhary in the men’s T35 100m.
Beyond these medal winners, more than 50 para-athletes train at the SAI JLN Stadium, underlining its role in supporting India’s para-athletics talent pool.
The performances in Aichi-Nagoya highlight the importance of quality training infrastructure, dedicated access to facilities and institutional support in helping Indian para-athletes prepare for major international competitions. The success of the JLN Stadium-trained contingent also reinforces the value of providing athletes with an environment that allows them to focus on performance and maximise their potential.
(Inputs from SAI)
