By Hishan Welmilla
Achi-Nagoya Sri Lanka enjoyed a memorable day at the 5th Asian Para Games 2026, with Palitha Bandara winning a silver medal in the men’s F42 shot put and swimmer Naveed Rahim claiming bronze in the men’s S9 100m butterfly. Meanwhile, Maduranga Subasinghe delivered a season-best performance to finish fourth in the men’s T47 400m final.
Palitha Bandara secured Sri Lanka’s silver medal in the men’s F42 shot put with an impressive throw of 14.02 metres, earning a place on the podium at the continental competition.
Kuwait’s Faizal Sorsour won the gold medal with a Games record throw of 16.06 metres, setting a new benchmark in the event. Bandara’s performance, meanwhile, added another significant achievement to his para-athletics career and reinforced his position among Asia’s leading competitors in the discipline.
Bandara had previously won a bronze medal at the 2023 Asian Para Games with a throw of 14.15 metres. His latest podium finish represents another important milestone in his long-standing career in para-athletics.
Sri Lanka’s medal celebrations continued in the swimming pool, where Naveed Rahim captured the bronze medal in the men’s S9 100m butterfly, clocking an impressive 1:03.29 in the final.
Rahim’s medal-winning performance marked an outstanding achievement for the Sri Lankan swimmer, who had demonstrated his potential during the qualifying rounds. He secured his place in the final with a personal-best time of 1:05.55, underlining his progress and determination ahead of the medal-deciding race.
His improvement in the final culminated in a podium finish, providing Sri Lanka with another valuable medal at the Games.
2023 Para Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China,he secured the bronze in the Men’s 400m Freestyle (S9) event with a time of 4:39.63, breaking a 13-year dry spell for Sri Lanka in Para Asian Games swimming
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan swimmer Galina Basnayake finished seventh in the women’s S9 100m butterfly. She recorded a time of 1:21.98 in a competitive field, gaining further experience at the prestigious continental event despite missing out on a medal.
On the athletics track, Maduranga Subasinghe narrowly missed a podium finish in the men’s T47 400m final, finishing fourth with a season-best time of 50.03 seconds.
Subasinghe had qualified for the final after clocking 51.31 seconds in his heat, demonstrating his ability to compete among the leading athletes in his classification. He improved his time significantly in the final, producing a determined performance that brought him close to a medal-winning position.
Although he was unable to secure a place on the podium, his season-best effort was an encouraging outcome and reflected his commitment to continued improvement at the highest level of competition.
Sri Lankan para-athlete Nuwan Indika finished fourth in the men’s T44 long jump at the 5th Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, recording a distance of 6.30 metres. The result marked a disappointing outcome for Indika, who enjoyed a successful campaign at the 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, where he won the silver medal in the men’s long jump with a leap of 6.68 metres and also claimed gold in the men’s T44 100m with a Games-record time of 11.63 seconds.
Sri Lanka’s performances across athletics and swimming highlighted the determination and competitive spirit of the country’s para-athletes at the 5th Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Bandara’s silver and Rahim’s bronze provided important additions to the national medal tally, while the performances of Basnayake and Subasinghe demonstrated the depth of Sri Lanka’s participation across different events.
As the competition continues, Sri Lanka’s athletes will look to build on these achievements and pursue further success on the Asian stage.
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