Mona Agarwal and Nishad Kumar to carry India’s flag at Asian Para Games closing ceremony

India ended the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya on October 24 with a best-ever fourth-place finish, signing off with a record 114 medals — 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze.

The 114-medal haul surpassed India’s previous best of 108 at the 2022 edition in Hangzhou and represented the country’s largest tally across the five editions of the continental event. A 168-member para-athlete contingent produced world-record performances, historic victories and podium sweeps across multiple disciplines despite being smaller than the 309 athletes who represented India in Hangzhou.

India entered the final day in fourth place, but South Korea remained within reach; the Korean contingent needed two more gold medals to draw level with India’s tally of 30, with their superior silver count potentially pushing them ahead.

Two double gold medallists, Mona Agarwal and Nishad Kumar, delivered standout campaigns in their sports. Mona produced a record-breaking performance in shooting, while Nishad took top honours in both the high jump and the long jump for para-athletics.

The Games began on October 18 and concluded on October 24 in Aichi-Nagoya, marking the first time Japan hosted the continental para-sports event.

In a post on X, Takaichi said the athletes had embraced the possibility of failure, believed in themselves and pushed their limits on the big stage. She also praised competitors for supporting teammates, persevering in pursuit of victory and applauding their rivals’ efforts.

Double gold medallists Mona Agarwal and Nishad Kumar will be India’s flag-bearers at the closing ceremony of the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Saturday, leading the Indian contingent as the Games draw to a close.