Kapil Parmar won bronze in the men’s J1 -70kg category at the Asian Para Games on Monday
He beat Indonesia’s Ahnaf Rafli Shidqi 1-0 in the bronze-medal playoff bout
Parmar had lost 0-1 to Indonesia’s Junaedi in the semifinal before entering the playoff
Indian judoka Kapil Parmar won bronze in the men's J1 -70kg category at the Asian Para Games on Monday. He defeated Indonesia's Ahnaf Rafli Shidqi in the playoff bout.
This marks his second medal at the Asian Para Games as he won the silver medal in the previous edition of the Games.
This time, he took bronze after falling in the semifinal but recovering in the playoff.
Parmar's route to bronze had a setback first. He lost 0-1 to Indonesia's Junaedi in the semifinal and dropped into the playoff for third place.
He then beat Ahnaf Rafli Shidqi 1-0 in the bronze-medal contest. Parmar sealed it with one Ippon, the highest scoring move in judo, which wins the match instantly.
The bout ended fast. The contest lasted just over a minute.
Parmar did not hide his disappointment. "I came here with the intent of winning gold but ended with a bronze. Fortune was not with me today as far as gold is concerned but I am grateful for this bronze. I have worked very hard and this is the first medal that I have in a long time," Kapil said.
The medal carried personal weight too. Kapil's mother has not been keeping well for a while, adding to the emotion around his finish.
Even so, the bronze gave him another major podium finish. It also extended a run of medals in top events.
Classification And Record
The J1 category is for athletes with severe visual impairment. It covers conditions ranging from total blindness to minimal light perception.
Parmar had also won bronze at the 2024 Paralympics. That result had already placed him among India's leading para judokas.
His record goes back further. He won gold at the 2019 Commonwealth Championships, underlining his consistency across major competitions.
