India's Strong Contingent Prepares for Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya

The Indian contingent for the Asian Para Games 2026, comprising 168 athletes, is receiving significant support from the Government of India. With extensive training, funding, and preparation across various sports, the team aims for a successful performance in Aichi-Nagoya. Notably, the opening ceremony is on October 18, featuring flagbearers Pramod Bhagat and Bhavina Patel. The medal events will follow from October 19 to 24, showcasing India's commitment to para sports.

By Narendra Chaudhary Oct 17, 2026, 00:23 IST

Government Support for Indian Para Athletes

The Indian contingent for the Asian Para Games, consisting of 168 members (112 men and 56 women), has received substantial support from the Government of India to ensure a successful outing in Aichi-Nagoya.

This backing includes exposure to international competitions, domestic training, provision of equipment, and overseas training opportunities, as highlighted in a recent press release.

The campaign for Indian para badminton and para table tennis players, along with the blind football men's team, commenced on Friday. Among the athletes, 47 are part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), 33 are Khelo India Athletes (KIAs), and 61 are making their debut.

Support for the contingent has been organized under the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition (ACTC) and TOPS, with a total of ₹80.22 crore allocated through ACTC and an additional ₹18.34 crore invested under TOPS.

To prepare athletes across 11 sports disciplines, National Coaching Camps (NCC) were arranged at various centers, including an international camp for the para-archery team at the Kurobe Archery Centre in Japan during September and October.

Domestically, para-archers trained at the Sports Authority of India's Regional Centre in Sonipat, while camps for para swimmers and para powerlifters were conducted at the SAI Regional Centre in Gandhinagar. The para-athletes also participated in NCC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, SAI Sonipat, and the SAI Regional Centre in Bengaluru during the same period.

Additional training camps were held for para shooters at the Dr. Karni Singh shooting range, and blind football players trained in Kochi. Blind judo athletes attended a camp at the Indian Para Judo Academy in Lucknow this October, while the cycling velodrome at the SAI IG Stadium in New Delhi served as the training venue for para cycling.

India will compete in various sports at the Aichi-Nagoya Games, including para athletics, para-archery, para badminton, para table tennis, boccia, blind football, para cycling, blind judo, para powerlifting, para shooting, and para swimming.

The opening ceremony is set for October 18, with shuttler Pramod Bhagat and para table tennis player Bhavina Patel serving as flagbearers for India. The medal events will take place from October 19 to 24.