The fifth edition of the Asian Para Games officially opens on October 18, 2026, at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, bringing together roughly 3,000 athletes from 45 countries. Pramod Bhagat and Simran Sharma will carry the Indian flag during the opening ceremony, which starts at 2:30 p.m. Indian Standard Time.
India Sends 281-Member Contingent Across 11 Sports
The Indian delegation comprises 281 members, including 168 athletes and 113 officials and support staff. Out of the 168 competing athletes, 112 are men and 56 are women. They will contest 11 different sports over the seven-day competition, which runs through October 24.
The sports on India’s schedule include athletics, badminton, swimming, shooting, archery, blind football, table tennis, powerlifting, judo, boccia, and cycling. Para-athletics features the largest contingent with 62 participants, followed by badminton with 28 competitors. Several prominent names headline the roster, including Paralympic champions Sumit Antil, Pramod Bhagat, and Avani Lekhara.
Nagoya Hosting Continental Meet for 18 Sports
Competitions across the wider Games span 18 sports disciplines at venues throughout Nagoya. The opening ceremony takes place at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, locally known as Paloma Mizuho Stadium. Fans in India can watch live streaming on the FanCode app and website, alongside television coverage on DD Sports.
The continental event follows the 2026 Asian Games, where India finished fourth in the medal table with 85 total medals—21 gold, 27 silver, and 37 bronze—behind China, Japan, and South Korea.
Building on Performance From Hangzhou
India enters the Nagoya Games following its outing at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, where the national delegation secured 111 medals. That haul included 29 gold, 31 silver, and 51 bronze medals, marking India’s highest-ever medal count at the competition and placing fifth in the final standings behind China, Iran, Japan, and South Korea.
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