Indian para-athlete Preethi Pal secured the silver medal in the women’s 100m T35 event at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games on Wednesday, clocking 29.53 seconds to claim her second medal of the competition.
Preethi had earlier won silver in the women’s 200m T35 event on Tuesday, completing a double podium finish at the continental Games.
The Indian sprinter is a two-time Paralympic bronze medallist and has established herself as one of the country’s leading para-athletes.
She has also won one silver and three bronze medals at the World Para Athletics Championships, along with four gold medals at Indian Open tournaments and a gold at the New Delhi Grand Prix.
Born into a farming family in rural Uttar Pradesh, Preethi faced significant physical challenges from birth. Her lower body was placed in plaster for six days after she was born, while weakness in her legs and an irregular leg posture affected her mobility.
She underwent several traditional treatments to strengthen her legs and began wearing callipers at the age of five, continuing to use them for eight years.
Despite these challenges, Preethi developed an interest in para-sports at the age of 17 after watching videos of the Paralympic Games on social media.
Her athletics career gained momentum after she met Paralympian Fathima Khatoon, who became her mentor and encouraged her to compete at district, state and national levels.
Preethi made her international debut at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games in 2023.
She secured her first international medals at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships, winning bronze in both the women’s 100m and 200m events.
Later that year, she made history at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games by winning bronze medals in the women’s 100m and 200m T35 events.
With those performances, Preethi became the first Indian woman to win two track-and-field medals at a single edition of the Paralympic Games or Olympics.
Her latest silver medal in Nagoya adds to her international achievements and strengthens India’s medal tally at the ongoing Asian Para Games.
(IANS Inputs)
