Dharamraj Solairaj successfully defended his long jump T44/T62/T64 Asian Para Games gold medal with a record-breaking 7.15-metre leap
The Tamil Nadu athlete shattered his previous Asian and Games record of 6.80m set at Hangzhou by a remarkable 35 centimetres
Solairaj's triumph contributed to India's strong performance in Aichi-Nagoya, pushing the nation's medal count to 78 by day seven
India’s Dharamraj Solairaj retained his title in the men’s long jump T44/T62/T64 at the Asian Para Games 2026, soaring to 7.15 metres to set a new Asian record. The winning effort came in his second attempt and earned him a Raza score of 807. The gold repeats his triumph at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games, confirming his dominance over the continent’s best.
The Tamil Nadu athlete, born on 22 May 1994, first won the title in Hangzhou, where he failed his first three jumps before a gold-winning 6.80m in his sixth and final attempt, beating Sri Lanka’s Maththaka Gamage (6.68m).
That jump set both an Asian record and a Para Games record, and bettered the previous Asian mark of 6.42m held by compatriot Ramudri Someswara Rao. His new record is 35cm further. In March 2025, he also won the combined T44/T64 long jump gold at the Khelo India Para Games in New Delhi.
His gold adds to a strong Indian campaign in Aichi-Nagoya. India opened with 11 medals, including four golds, on day one. Two-time Paralympic silver medallist Nishad Kumar won the T47 long jump with 7.11m. By day seven, India had won 78 medals (18 gold, 25 silver and 35 bronze) and sat fifth in the standings.
The para athletics squad has been central to that tally, including a podium sweep in the men’s high jump T63 and gold for Dilip Gavit in the 400m T47. The contingent of 168 athletes across 11 sports is now chasing the 111 medals India won in Hangzhou.
