The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) hosted a grand send-off ceremony for the Indian contingent ahead of the 5th Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya attended and presented the official Team India jersey to athletes to build on the country's record-breaking performance at the previous edition of the continental competition.
The ceremony took place at ITC Maurya in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi on Thursday. Athletes, coaches, support staff, sports administrators, dignitaries and partners wanted to wish the contingent for the event which takes place from October 18 to 24, 2026.
Mandaviya said to athletes how to overcome personal and social challenges to attain their goals and to work hard in terms of overcoming their own personal and social challenges and struggle for personal and social circumstances before being able to compete on the global stage.
He said, for the athletes to develop confidence and establish goals and pursue sports ambitions despite the difficulties we experienced as athletes in the face of challenges to get in and succeed at that of the world level, the people from the athlete’s point of view and to gain confidence and to pursue the very same and get to the top of the world stage.
“It is not a small thing to take your own life and turn around and move forward. To accept your family’s trust when society doubts whether you can succeed is enormous strength,” Mandaviya added.
He also told them to focus on winning medals for having already had some tough times in life as a result of their journey. The minister has faith in the contingent and wants India to come back with determination to do so.
India Targets another strong Asian Para Games Campaign
India will enter the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games with a target of around 100 medals after its historic performance in Hangzhou, China at the last edition. The Indian contingent won 111 medals at the 2022 Asian Para Games, comprising 29 gold, 31 silver and 51 bronze medals.
That was a great achievement for Indian para-sports and all eyes are on the next edition. The results in Hangzhou demonstrated the improvement of Indian athletes in all fields and the country’s future prospects to become a world champion in this field.
The coming Games will see India's para-athletes compete with other top competitors from Asia. Their preparations for this will be evaluated from individual performance in the event with the help of each event and the strength of the competition field.
PCI president Devendra Jhajharia expressed confidence in the contingent's preparedness and potential. Pramod Bhagat and table tennis star Bhavina Patel’s success and resilience could inspire other members of the Indian team, he added.
Referring to India’s 111 medal performance in Hangzhou, Jhajharia said he thought the athletes were well prepared to perform another strong campaign and establish new benchmarks at Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
Pramod Bhagat and Bhavina Patel named flag-bearers.
The national flag-bearers of India’s Paralympic gold medallist Pramod Bhagat and Paralympic silver medallist Bhavina Patel have been named as India’s flag-bearers. They represent national athletes in Paralympic gold medallist Pramod Bhagat and Paralympic silver medallist Bhavina Patel who have been chosen for the opening ceremony.
Bhagat, one of India's most celebrated para-badminton players, says the team is going to Japan with confidence after extensive preparation. “I am very optimistic about the contingent and specifically that the para-badminton team will continue to play a very crucial role in India's overall medal collection,” he said.
“We go to Aichi-Nagoya with great hope and confidence in our preparations. We have trained hard and are ready to give our best for India,” Bhagat said.
On the other hand, he predicted that the para-badminton team would perform well at the competition. His comments were representative of the athletes’ focus on preparation and in turn about the fact that training is going to be translated into performance at the international level.
Team Leadership and Support Staff.
The Indian delegation will be led by Chef de Mission Rahul Swami while Parul Mahajan Oberoi is Deputy Chef de Mission. Their duties are to coordinate the delegation and train athletes and staff for the multi-sport event.
PCI Chairperson Payal Kanodia was proud of the contingent's success and thanked the coaches, support personnel and partners for their help. Their work is also essential for athletes to prepare for international competition and training and logistics and equipment and support at work.
The ceremony was also attended by Para Athletics Federation of India president Narendra Singh, India para-athletics chief coach Satyanarayana, PCI secretary general Jayawant Gundu Hamanawar and other officials.
With the official jersey on and the send-off ceremony done, the attention is now on the competition in Japan. India’s previous medal collection is a benchmark, and we expect the team to perform consistently in all disciplines.
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games will see Indian para-athletes in action to show off their skills, win medals and continue the country's involvement in international para-sports.
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