New Delhi, Oct 20 (IANS) Indian para-athlete Tejalben Amraji Damor said she was determined to return with a medal despite the personal hardships she faced, a resolve that helped her clinch bronze in the women’s 200m T12 event at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Nagoya on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old visually impaired sprinter from Gujarat also registered a personal best on her debut at the continental games.
“We came here with great expectations, immense hard work and a strong determination to win. My journey has involved a lot of struggle, but I was determined that whatever the difficulties, I had to return with a medal,” Tejalben said.
Training at the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence (SAI NCoE) in Gandhinagar, Tejalben clocked 25.25 seconds in the heats to finish second in her heat and qualify for the final. The timing bettered her previous mark of 25.47 seconds, recorded while winning gold at the Dubai Para Athletics Grand Prix in September.
Tejalben also acknowledged the contribution of her coach, highlighting his commitment to ensuring that her training continued without interruption.
“First of all, I want to thank my coach. There has been tremendous hard work and discipline behind this medal. Even when Sunday was supposed to be a rest day, my coach never allowed our training to suffer. If we had a training session scheduled, he would be there. I want to thank him before anyone else,” she said.
Hailing from Dahod in Gujarat, Tejalben began her para-athletics journey in 2022 and has steadily progressed at the national and international levels. She finished sixth at the World Para Athletics Championships in 2025 before winning gold at the National Championships in 2026 and the Dubai Para Athletics Grand Prix.
Her preparations have been supported by structured coaching and training facilities at SAI NCoE Gandhinagar. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has also extended financial assistance of Rs 205,961 towards her sporting preparations under the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition (ACTC).
With the women’s 400m T12 event, her primary discipline, coming up next, Tejalben hopes to build on the confidence gained from her 200m podium finish.
“My main event is the 400 metres, which is coming up next. My coach and I believed that winning a medal in the 200 metres would give us greater confidence for the 400 metres. Now, with this medal, I feel even more confident about giving my best in my main event,” she added.
Beyond her competitive ambitions, Tejalben aspires to establish a dedicated running track for visually impaired children in Dahod to provide them with better opportunities to participate in athletics and develop their sporting potential.
–IANS
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