Asian Para Games 2026 Preview: India's 121 athletes ready to eclipse Hangzhou's 111-medal record

The fifth edition of the Asian Para Games opens in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on 18 October 2026, with India deploying its most formidable and scientifically conditioned para-sport contingent in history. Featuring 121 elite athletes—80 men and 41 women—competing across 6 core disciplines, the team aims to surpass its historic benchmark of 111 medals (29 gold, 31 silver, 51 bronze) achieved at Hangzhou.

Leading the delegation at the opening ceremony inside Paloma Mizuho Stadium will be joint flag bearers Pramod Bhagat, the legendary para badminton world champion, and Bhavina Patel, the Tokyo Paralympic silver medalist in para table tennis. Their selection symbolises the exceptional gender balance and multi-sport versatility of India's contemporary para movement.

Para athletics forms the spearhead of the squad with 44 competitors, including reigning Paralympic and world champions Sumit Antil (Men's Javelin F64), Nishad Kumar (High Jump T47), Praveen Kumar (High Jump T64), Deepthi Jeevanji (400m T20), and teenage sprint sensation Preethi Pal (100m T35). Antil, who recently broke the 70-meter barrier with a 70.83m Asian record throw, is favored to capture gold in emphatic fashion.

In para archery, world attention will once again focus on 19-year-old armless sensation Sheetal Devi. Competing in the women's compound open category using her legs, torso, and chin release, Sheetal recently shot an astounding 149 out of 150 points at the World Para Archery ranking event, establishing herself as the world's most accurate compound archer.

Paralympic Committee of India President Devendra Jhajharia confirmed that every athlete in the squad has received customized prosthetic equipment, biomechanical analysis, and specialized nutritional support through the TOPS scheme. With 492 medal events contested across seven days in Nagoya, India stands on the precipice of another transformative sporting chapter.