India’s Ashok Kumar Malik won silver in the men’s 65kg Para powerlifting event at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Nagoya, Japan, on 20 October 2026. Malik, aged 37, recorded a best lift of 192kg. China’s Zou Yi won gold with 216kg, while Indonesia’s Margono took bronze with 177kg.
Men’s 65kg Event Results
The competition ranked athletes in the men’s 65kg bodyweight category by the heaviest successful lift. Zou Yi, identified as the reigning Paralympic champion, finished first with a 216kg lift. Malik placed second, 24kg behind Zou, and Margono finished third with 177kg. Malik’s silver improved on the bronze medal he won at the previous edition of the Asian Para Games. His result was India’s first powerlifting medal at the 2026 Games. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Malik on the silver medal.
Para Powerlifting
Para powerlifting is a strength sport in which athletes compete by performing the bench press. Competitors lower a barbell to the chest and press it upwards under the competition’s rules and officials’ commands. Athletes are grouped by sex and bodyweight category, rather than by the type of impairment. In standard competition, each athlete receives three attempts, and the best successful lift determines the result. A lift must meet the technical rules, including control of the bar and completion of the press. The 65kg category refers to an athlete’s bodyweight class; it is not the weight lifted.
Asian Para Games
The Asian Para Games are a multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities from across Asia. The Asian Paralympic Committee is the regional body associated with the Games. The first Asian Para Games took place in Guangzhou, China, in 2010. The event is held on a four-year cycle and features sports contested by athletes with disabilities. Para powerlifting is among the sports on the programme, with medal events divided by sex and bodyweight category.
Important Facts for Exams
- Para powerlifting uses the bench press as its competition lift.
- The first Asian Para Games were held in Guangzhou in 2010.
- In powerlifting, an athlete’s best successful lift determines the result.
- The Asian Paralympic Committee is associated with the Asian Para Games.
Malik’s 192kg lift earned India its first powerlifting medal at the 2026 Asian Para Games. Zou Yi won the men’s 65kg gold medal with a 216kg lift.
