Asian Para Games: One-Two For India In Swimming! Soumya Wins Gold, Radha Takes Silver

Last Updated:October 19, 2026, 5:02 PM IST

Soumya won gold in the womens 1500m T12/T13 event at the Asian Para Games, while Radha Venkatesh clinched silver in the same race.

Swimming (Representative Image)

India’s Soumya clinched the gold medal in the women’s 1500m T12/T13 event at the Asian Para Games, while compatriot Radha Venkatesh secured silver to complete a one-two finish for the country.

Soumya clocked 5 minutes 12.39 seconds to claim the top spot, while Radha finished in 5:30.90. Japan’s Mana Sasaki took the bronze medal.

Soumya was accompanied by guide Kumar Bharath during the race, while Govind Solanki guided Radha. The T12/T13 categories are designated for athletes with visual impairments, who may compete with guides depending on the classification and applicable rules.

Track events from T11 to T13 cater to athletes with varying degrees of visual impairment. T11 is for competitors with total or near-total blindness, while T13 covers athletes with the least severe visual impairment within these categories. T12 is for athletes whose visual impairment falls between the two classifications.

Soumya, who hails from Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district, competes in the T12 category for athletes with visual impairments. She trains at the Indian Athletic Academy under coach Roshan Agni Shreedhar Bachchan. The gold medal adds to her growing list of achievements, which includes a title at the 2025 Asian Youth Para Games and gold medals at the New Delhi Grand Prix and Indian Open in 2026.

Radha, born on May 2, 1999, in Bommasamudra village in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district, comes from a farming family. Her parents are Venkatesh and Sujatha. She studied at the Ashakirana School for the Blind in Chikkamagaluru before earning a BA from a government first-grade college in Bengaluru. Her talent was identified by Sports Authority of India coach Rahul Balakrishna, who brought her to Bengaluru in 2017 for professional training. The Karnataka government later appointed her to a position in its labour department.

Radha made history at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, winning two medals, including gold in the women’s 1500m T13. She has since won gold at the 2022 Asian Para Games, held in 2023, along with medals at several international and national competitions.

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Who won the gold medal in the women’s 1500m T12/T13 event at the Asian Para Games?

India’s Soumya clinched the gold medal in the women’s 1500m T12/T13 event at the Asian Para Games.

Which Indian athlete secured the silver medal alongside Soumya in the women’s 1500m event?

Compatriot Radha Venkatesh secured the silver medal in the women’s 1500m T12/T13 event, completing a one-two finish for India.

At which international multi-sport competition did Soumya and Radha achieve a one-two finish for India?

Soumya and Radha achieved their one-two finish in swimming at the Asian Para Games.

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