New Delhi: Deepthi Jeevanji added to India’s gold rush at the Asian Para Games in 2026, finishing at the top of the podium in the women’s 400m T20. The 23-year-old from Telangana didn’t settle for a record in the heats, but she improved her time to 56.36 seconds, setting a new Games record.
Jeevanji had clocked a time of 57.57 seconds in the heats and written her name in the record books. But she improved it further in the final and finished at the top of the podium. Japan’s Niina Kanno clinched the silver medal with a time of 58.92 seconds, while compatriot Akane Kato bagged the bronze medal by clocking 1:00.26. With her triumph, Jeevanji ensured India’s first gold on the second day and overall fifth.
Jeevanji has been consistently doing well at the global stage. She won the 400m T20 title at the 2023 Asian Para Games, became a world champion in 2024 and then bagged a bronze medal in the Paris Paralympics.
Deepthi Jeevanji’s rise through the ranks
Jeevanji’s journey in sport began at the age of 15 when Sports Authority of India coach N Ramesh spotted her at a state-level athletics meet in Telangana. He then started training the athlete to excel on the world stage. She secured a bronze in the 2019 Asian Youth Championships in Hong Kong and then went on to win gold medals in 100m and 200m at the 2020 Khelo India Youth Games.
Her watershed moment at the senior stage came at the 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, where she won the 400m T20 gold, shattering Games and Asian records. She then won a gold at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan, with a time of 55.07 seconds, which was a world-record performance at that time.
The 23-year-old then won bronze in the 400m T20 at the Paris Paralympics, becoming the first athlete with an intellectual impairment from India to win a medal in the Paralympics. These performances established her as one of the leading athletes from the Indian country.
What is the T20 classification?
The T20 classification is for athletes with intellectual impairments which can affect information processing and concentration. The IQ score of the athletes must be below 75 to take part in this category. Also, to participate in this category, the disability must be identified and acquired before the age of 18.
