India, Oct. 19 -- India's first athletics gold in Japan at the 2026 Asian Para Games had a small American influence.

At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, Roderick Townsend-Roberts became the long jump and high jump champion in the T47 category. In the same category, Nishad Kumar took the high jump silver behind him at the Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024 Paralympics. The Indian did not see why he too couldn't attempt a similar dual jumping act.

At the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, the stage of his first international competition in the new event, Nishad took a big step by winning the men's long jump T47 gold.

It opened India's gold tally on the track and field on Monday. Javelin thrower Rinku Hooda, who lost his mother last month, and vis...