Kumar Bahukhandi
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai (right) and Deputy Chief Minister and Sports Minister Arun Sao (left) with Asian Para Games medallists Toman Kumar (second from right), who won gold in para archery, and Abhijeet Sakhuja (second from left), who won bronze in para badminton, at the felicitation ceremony in Raipur on 12 November 2026. Photo: channel24india.com via CG/CMO
Chhattisgarh will award ₹51 lakh to para archery gold medallist Toman Kumar and ₹31 lakh to para badminton bronze medallist Abhijeet Sakhuja.
Key Highlights
- Toman Kumar partnered Sheetal Devi to win compound mixed team gold at the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
- Abhijeet Sakhuja won bronze in the men’s singles SL4 para badminton event
- Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai felicitated both athletes in Raipur on 12 November, with Deputy Chief Minister and Sports Minister Arun Sao in attendance.
Raipur: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai honoured Asian Para Games medallists Toman Kumar and Abhijeet Sakhuja at the Chief Minister’s residence office on 12 November 2026, announcing cash rewards totalling ₹82 lakh. Toman will receive ₹51 lakh for his para archery gold and Sakhuja ₹31 lakh for his para badminton bronze. Sai presented both athletes with shawls and Bastar art mementoes. Deputy Chief Minister and Sports Minister Arun Sao attended the felicitation.
Sai said the athletes’ courage, discipline and persistence could encourage young people in Chhattisgarh to pursue their ambitions through setbacks. He also congratulated their families, acknowledging the part their encouragement and support played in the athletes’ careers.
From a CRPF anti-Naxal operation to Asian Para Games gold
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy Chief Minister and Sports Minister Arun Sao present a Bastar art memento to Asian Para Games archery gold medallist Toman Kumar in Raipur on 12 November 2026. Photo: channel24india.com via CG/CMO.
Toman, from Nawagaon village in Balod district, served in the Central Reserve Police Force’s CoBRA unit. He lost his left leg after an improvised explosive device went off during an anti-Naxal operation in Jharkhand in 2022. He took up para archery in 2023 and went on to represent India at his first Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya.
In Japan, Toman and Sheetal Devi won gold in the compound mixed team event. The Indian pair beat Indonesia’s Teodora Audi Ayudia Ferelly and Ken Swagumilang 151–148 in the final, securing India’s first archery gold of the Games.
At the felicitation, Sai paid tribute to Toman’s service in the CRPF and the determination he brought to competitive archery after his injury.
Sakhuja takes bronze in men’s singles
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai honours Asian Para Games badminton bronze medallist Abhijeet Sakhuja as Deputy Chief Minister and Sports Minister Arun Sao stands alongside them in Raipur on 12 November 2026. Photo: channel24india.com via CG/CMO.
Sakhuja, who is from Bilaspur, has lived with clubfoot since childhood. He pursued para badminton through sustained training and won bronze in the men’s singles SL4 event. His medal was among the 16 India won in para badminton at the Games. India finished fourth overall with 114 medals, including 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze.
State pledges support for future competitions
Sai said the state would support both athletes as they prepare for future competitions. He said athletes who win medals internationally can receive up to ₹3 lakh in travel and daily allowance under Sports and Youth Welfare Department schemes to participate in subsequent international events. He also stressed the need for better training and facilities to help para athletes compete nationally and internationally.
Sao congratulated the medallists and said Chhattisgarh was working to give athletes better training, modern facilities and more opportunities to compete. He invoked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message, “Jitna khelenge, utna hi khilenge”, meaning the more we play, the more we flourish.
Sports and Youth Welfare Secretary Yashwant Kumar, Director of Sports Akanksha Shiksha Khalkho and members of both athletes’ families were present.
