Ace para sprinter Jayanti Behera captured three medals, which featured one silver and two bronze womens T-47 category. She won one bronze each in 100 metre and 200 metre run, clocking 13.18 seconds and 27.22 seconds respectively. Jayanti secured the silver in 400 metre run with a time of 1:00.48 on December 8.

Swadhin Mahar from Sundargarh district claimed one silver medal on his international debut, finishing second in mens T-47 long jump event with an effort of 5.93 metre. Swadhin trained in Delhi, under the guidance of Vipin Kumar.

Para shuttlers Deep Ranjan Bisoyee won mens SL3-SL4 doubles gold and SL4 singles bronze, while Subhrajeet Maharana secured mens SL3-SL4 doubles bronze. Bisoyee and his Indian partner Sharad Chandra won the doubles final, defeating compatriots Premkumar Ezhil and Dinesh Rajaiah 21-11, 21-12.

Bisoyee settled for bronze in singles after losing to Indonesian Hikmat Randani 13-21, 11-21. Maharana won the doubles bronze medal with Indian partner Jagadesh Dilli after suffering defeat in the semifinals against Indian opponents Premkumar Ezhil and Dinesh Rajaiah 16-21, 21-18, 12-21.

Seven wheelchair fencers from Odisha represented India in the World Abilitysport Games. But none of them could win a medal. India emerged second most successful country in the four-day Games, bagging 36 gold, 32 silver and 35 bronze for a total of 103 medals. Host Thailand topped the medal tally with 153 gold, 113 silver and 110 bronze.

The World Abilitysport Games featured competitions in 11 disciplines, which were: athletics, swimming, table tennis, powerlifting, road & track cycling, rowing, archery, badminton, shooting, snooker and wheelchair fencing. Four demonstration sports, Esports, petanque, takraw and para canoe, all hugely popular in the host nation were also showcased.

ODISHA SQUAD: Jayanti Behera, Suchitra Parida, Swadhin Mahar (all para athletics); G Dillaswar Rao, Subhrajeet Maharana, Deep Ranjan Bisoyee, Nurul Hossain Khan (all para badminton); V Ramesh Rao, Rakhal Kumar Sethy, Pujaswini Nayak, Prafulla Kumar Khandayatray, Malti Panaure, Sheela Mantri, Pabitra Sahu (all wheelchair fencing). Coach: Bishnu Prasad Mishra.
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TOP: Odisha para athletes Suchitra Parida (Left) and Jayanti Behera pose with respective gold and bronze medals at the World Abilitysport Games 2023 in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand on 5 December 2023.
RIGHT: Odisha para shuttlers Deep Ranjan Bisoyee and Subhrajeet Maharana pose with respective medals at the World Abilitysport Games in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand on 8 December 2023.