Nagoya, October 22, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India’s Dharmaraj Solairaj defended his men’s long jump title at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Thursday, setting a new Asian record with a leap of 7.15 metres.
Competing in the combined T44/T62/T64 final at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, the 32-year-old Tamil Nadu athlete produced his decisive jump on his second attempt to secure his second consecutive gold medal at the continental event.
The performance improved his previous Asian record of 7.08 metres, set at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, and marked another milestone in his career since winning gold at the 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou.
Solairaj opened with a jump of 6.88 metres before soaring to 7.15 metres in the second round. He subsequently registered efforts of 6.82 metres and 6.85 metres before fouling his final two attempts. His record-breaking second jump proved sufficient to secure the title.
Solairaj topped the combined-event standings with 807 Raza points. Malaysia’s Eddy Bernard finished second with 740 points after recording a best distance of 6.34 metres in the T44 classification, while Japan’s Yuma Tamaki claimed bronze with 726 points after producing a personal-best jump of 6.89 metres in the T64 category.
In combined para-athletics events, competitors from different classifications are assessed using the Raza points system, which accounts for performance standards across their respective impairment categories.
Solairaj’s latest victory continues a series of improvements in his performances. At the Hangzhou Asian Para Games in October 2023, he won the title with a final-round leap of 6.80 metres, which set an Asian record at the time.
He subsequently raised the continental benchmark to 7.08 metres at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, where he finished seventh in the competition.
Earlier in 2026, Solairaj also won the combined T44/T64 long jump event at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in New Delhi with an effort of 7.05 metres.
Competing in the T64 classification, which includes athletes with lower-limb impairments or below-knee amputations who compete using running prostheses, Solairaj has now added another major international title while extending his Asian record.
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