The 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games officially opened on October 18, 2026, at the Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, bringing together approximately 4,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions to compete across 18 sports and over 500 medal events through October 24.
Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium Hosts Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony began at 6:00 p.m. local time on October 18, 2026, at the Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Nagoya, marking the fifth edition of the Asian Para Games. Dignitaries in attendance included Asian Paralympic Committee President Majid Rashed, Japan’s Emperor Naruhito, Crown Prince Akishinonomiya Fumihito and his wife, and Aichi Prefecture Governor and Organizing Committee Chairperson Hideaki Omura. The South Korean government sent Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young, alongside Korean Paralympic Committee President Jung Jin-wan and APC Vice President Jung Jae-jun.
The continental competition returns three years after the previous edition rather than the usual four-year cycle, following the postponement of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Para Games to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Events will take place across Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya, and Shizuoka Prefecture’s Izu city.
Imagine One Heart and WABI Set the Tone
The event slogan, “Imagine One Heart,” pairs with the “Imagine One Asia” theme of the preceding Asian Games held in the same region, emphasizing unity and solidarity across the continent. The opening ceremony centered on the theme “WABI” (We Are Beautiful Individuals), highlighting that participants share common value regardless of nationality, culture, or physical ability.
Afghanistan entered first in the athlete parade, which followed the English alphabetical order of country names. South Korea marched 16th between Kazakhstan and Kuwait under the designation “Korea,” led by flagbearers Jang Min-ho of Anyang City Hall in T13 athletics and Yoon Ji-yu of Seongnam City Hall in class 3 table tennis. North Korea entered eighth under the name “DPR Korea” with athletes solely in table tennis, while host nation Japan entered 45th and last. Following the parade, Omura and Rashed delivered encouraging remarks before Emperor Naruhito officially declared the Games open.
Seven Paralympic Figures Light the Flame
The Asian Paralympic Committee flag was carried by six Paralympic medalists: Atsushi Yamamoto (athletics), Shoko Ota (Nordic skiing), Kuniko Obinata (alpine skiing), Kyoko Tsukamoto (wheelchair basketball), Satoshi Fujimoto (judo), and Yoshihiro Nitta (cross-country skiing). The athlete oath was delivered by Tokito Oda, who won the wheelchair tennis men’s singles gold at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, and Kaede Maegawa, a Paralympian and picture book writer.
The final torch relay featured seven current and former Japanese Paralympic competitors, beginning with Japan Sports Agency Commissioner and five-time Paralympic swimming gold medalist Junichi Kawai, followed by swimmer Airi Kinoshita, former judoka Makoto Hirose, wheelchair rugby player Yukinobu Ike, former wheelchair basketball player Katsumi Miyake, former long jumper Maya Nakanishi, and alpine skier Momoka Muraoka. The final three relay torchbearers ignited the cauldron containing firewood and straw gathered from the Aichi pottery-producing regions of Seto, Tokoname, and Sanshu. The cauldron materials will return to the earth as natural soil after the Games conclude.
South Korea Targets Sixth Place Overall
South Korea has dispatched 357 personnel, including 214 athletes across all 18 sports, targeting at least 21 gold medals and a sixth-place finish in the overall standings. Shooter Park Jin-ho of Gangneung City Hall contests the men’s 10-meter air rifle standing event in SH1 classification on October 19 at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Range in Toyota, aiming for the delegation’s first gold medal of the event.
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