Asia Pacific Deaf Games 2024: India finish 5th with 55 medals

Indian deaf athletes ended their campaign at the 2024 Asia Pacific Deaf Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with a fifth-position finish on the medal tally.

India athletes won a whopping 55 medals which included: 8 gold, 18 silver, and 29 bronze. Iran emerged as the overall champion of the Games with 62 Medals, including 24 gold medals.

Athletics emerged as a key contributor for India as five of the eight gold medals of the Indian contingent came out in this discipline.

Vinith Mani led the way for the athletic contingent with victories in the men’s 400m sprint race and the mixed 4x400m relay event.

Sameeha Barvin Mujib clinched the gold medal in the women’s 100m hurdles whereas the Indian women’s 4x400m relay team also topped the podium.

Manikandan Ramaraj (long jump) and Versha Gulia (women’s shot put) bagged bronze medals in field events.

In judo, India won five medals, including two golds by Milanmeet Kaur (48 kg) and Sakshi Bansode (57 kg). Nirchira, Rakesh Singh, and Sambid Das won bronze medals to add to India’s tally.

Indian table tennis players demonstrated strong performances with a silver in the women’s team event and two bronze medals in women’s doubles. Meanwhile, India won their first-ever medals in chess, with Ambika Masagi winning silver in blitz chess and Yashaswi Kudmanu earning bronze.

In wrestling, the Indian contingent grabbed a total of seven medals including one gold medal in the men’s freestyle 97kg category from Sumit Dahiya.

The Games served as an excellent platform for deaf athletes to prepare for next year's Deaflympics in Japan.

List of Gold Medalists:

Wrestling - Sumit Dahiya - Men’s freestyle 97kg

Judo - Milanmeet Kaur - Women's 48 kg

Judo - Sakshi Bansode - Women's 57 kg

Athletics - Vinith Mani - Men's 400m

Athletics - Sameeha Barvin Mujib - Women's 100m Hurdles

Athletics - Sandeep Kumar Swami - Men's Hammer Throw

Athletics - Women's 4*400m relay team

Athletics - Mixed 4*400 Relay team