India's Dharmaraj Solairaj defended his men's long jump title at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Thursday with a record-breaking leap of 7.15 metres, according to IANS.

Source: IANS

Competing in the combined T44/T62/T64 final at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, the 32-year-old from Tamil Nadu produced the decisive jump on his second attempt. He opened with 6.88 metres, then hit 7.15 metres, followed by 6.82 metres and 6.85 metres before fouling his final two attempts — the early record mark proved enough to take gold.

The leap improved his own previous Asian record of 7.08 metres, set at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, and gave him his second successive Asian Para Games gold after his title at Hangzhou in 2023, where he won with 6.80 metres.

Source: New Kerala / IANS

How the podium finished

Under the Raza points system used for combined-classification finals, Solairaj topped the standings with 807 points. Malaysia's Eddy Bernard took silver with 740 points and a best of 6.34 metres in the T44 class, while Japan's Yuma Tamaki took bronze with 726 points and a personal-best 6.89 metres in the T64 class, reports said.

Source: Sports Now

Solairaj's gold added to a strong day for India in para-athletics at the Games, on a day when the Indian contingent's overall medal tally reached 88, including 21 gold, 26 silver and 41 bronze, according to reports from Aichi-Nagoya.