Judoka Kapil Parmar wins bronze at Asian Para Games

NAGOYA: Indian judoka Kapil Parmar claimed a bronze medal in the men's J1 -70kg category of the Asian Para Games after beating Indonesia's Ahnaf Rafli Shidqi in the playoff bout here on Monday.

Kapil, who won a silver in the previous edition of the Games, fought for bronze this time after going down in the semifinal to another Indonesian Junaedi 0-1.

In the playoff, Kapil prevailed 1-0 after managing one Ippon (the highest scoring move in judo that wins the match instantly).

The contest lasted just over a minute.

"I came here with the intent of winning gold but ended with a bronze. Fortune was not with me today as far as gold is concerned but I am grateful for this bronze. I have worked very hard and this is the first medal that I have in a long time," said an emotionally overwhelmed Kapil, whose mother has not been keeping well for a while.

The J1 classification covers severe visual impairments ranging from total blindness to minimal light perception.

Kapil had won a bronze in the 2024 Paralympics and was a gold-winner at the 2019 Commonwealth Championships.