Asian Para Games 2026 Closing Ceremony Live Updates: It’s nearing its conclusion in Nagoya; India sign off wi

Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: 4,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions The closing ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games was held at the Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Nagoya on Saturday, bringing the week-long competition to an end. Held in Japan for the first time, the Games brought together approximately 4,000 athletes and staff from 45 countries and regions. The Asian Para Games evolved from the Far East and South Pacific Games Federation for the Disabled, with the inaugural edition held in Guangzhou, China, in 2010. The Aichi-Nagoya event marked the fifth edition, with Doha set to host the sixth in 2030..Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: 4,000 athletes from 45 countries and regioms The closing ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games was held at the Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Nagoya on Saturday, bringing the week-long competition to an end. Held in Japan for the first time, the Games brought together approximately 4,000 athletes and staff from 45 countries and regions. The Asian Para Games evolved from the Far East and South Pacific Games Federation for the Disabled, with the inaugural edition held in Guangzhou, China, in 2010. The Aichi-Nagoya event marked the fifth edition, with Doha set to host the sixth in 2030..That was absolutely fantastic! .Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: India’s para-swimmers make significant progress India finished the Asian Para Games swimming competition with 11 medals, comprising three silver and eight bronze, a significant improvement on the solitary bronze secured at the previous edition. Budigina won silver in the men’s S13 100m backstroke and freestyle events before adding bronze in the 50m freestyle. Nandal’s journey to the continental podium has been marked by determination and a willingness to embrace new challenges. Hailing from a sports-oriented family in Rohtak, Haryana, he moved to Delhi at the age of four and joined the National Association for the Blind, where he learnt Braille. He initially pursued judo and won medals at the national level before switching to swimming in 2021. His progress culminated in becoming the first Indian blind swimmer to achieve the Minimum Qualification Standard for the Paris Paralympics in 2024. His three-bronze performance in Aichi-Nagoya marked another milestone in his sporting journey..Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: ‘The finish came down to mere microseconds’ Nandal had earlier secured bronze in the men’s 400m freestyle and 100m breaststroke S11 events, completing a memorable campaign with three podium finishes. He opened his medal account on Tuesday in the 400m freestyle with a time of 5:10.91 before adding another bronze in the breaststroke. Recalling the intensity of the latter race, Nandal said the outcome was decided by the narrowest of margins. “The 100-metre breaststroke was the most challenging. The race was so intense that the finish came down to mere microseconds. If I had been even a fraction further behind—by a distance no greater than the thickness of a strand of hair—I would have lost the medal,” he said. The S11 classification is for swimmers with severe visual impairment, including those with very low visual acuity or no light perception. Nandal’s three medals made him one of India’s standout performers in the pool, alongside Ravi Budigina, who also won three medals..Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: Himanshu Nandal dedicates historic medal treble to nation Indian para-swimmer Himanshu Nandal dedicated his historic hat-trick of bronze medals at the Asian Para Games 2026 to the nation and his support staff, crediting their hard work and dedication for his achievements in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The 22-year-old completed his treble on Friday by finishing third in the men’s 100m freestyle S11 event, helping India end its campaign with 11 medals in the pool. “It feels wonderful. I also achieved personal bests, and I managed to secure three bronze medals. I would like to dedicate this achievement to the nation and to my support staff, who worked so hard and with such dedication to make this possible,” Nandal told ANI. Born blind due to optic nerve failure, Nandal clocked one minute and 5.90 seconds in the 100m freestyle. .Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: The ceremony begins in Nagoya The Asian Para Games 2026 is drawing to a close today, with a grand closing ceremony at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya, Japan. Celebrations to bid farewell to the athletes and mark the end of a memorable edition are now underway..Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: Final prep going on in Nagoya stadium .Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: The grand ceremony will start soon .Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: When & where to watch the ceremony When >> The Asian Para Games 2026 closing ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 24, at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2:30 PM IST (6 PM local time). Where to watch >> The closing ceremony will be telecast live on DD Sports in India. Viewers can also watch the live stream on the Prasar Bharati Sports YouTube channel and the WAVES OTT platform..Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: JLN-trained athletes deliver strong medal haul The group produced an impressive showing across track and field events in Aichi-Nagoya. Praveen Kumar won gold in the men’s high jump T64, while Sandeep Kumar claimed the men’s 400m T64 title with a world-record performance. Pranav Soorma triumphed in the men’s club throw F51, and Rinku Hooda won the men’s javelin F46 event. Simran Sharma completed a sprint double, winning gold in the women’s 100m and 200m T12 and setting Games records in both races. Silver medallists from the training group included Manjeet in the men’s javelin F12/F13, Nimisha Chakkungalparambil in the women’s long jump T47, Varun Singh Bhati in the men’s high jump T63, Preeti Pal in the women’s 100m and 200m T35, and Ajeet Singh Yadav in the men’s javelin F46. Sandeep Kumar also won bronze in the men’s 100m T44, while Sandip Sanjay Sargar secured bronze in the men’s javelin combined-classification event. Anubhav Choudhary finished third in the men’s 100m T35, alongside Navdeep’s bronze. Their performances highlighted the contribution of the JLN Stadium’s training environment to India’s record-breaking campaign..Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: Dedicated training space helps athletes focus Navdeep also highlighted the benefits of having access to the stadium’s main track and dedicated training areas, saying the facility helped athletes prepare without unnecessary interruptions or delays. He explained that training at the JLN Stadium allowed him to concentrate on his throws rather than waiting for other athletes to finish their turns. “Sprinters need an empty track, so they got a good chance to train inside it. I majorly train at the SAI Regional Centres (Bengaluru, Sonipat and Gandhinagar), where there is not much crowd and I don’t have to wait for other athletes to finish their throws. This all happened here at the JLN Stadium too. I could focus on my preparations rather than focusing on rotations and waiting for my turn,” Navdeep said. He also expressed hope of returning to the facility next season. More than 50 other para-athletes train at the SAI JLN Stadium, which continues to serve as a base for athletes across disciplines. Navdeep was among 14 medallists at the Asian Para Games who trained there ahead of the continental competition..Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: JLN Stadium support helps Navdeep prepare for Asian Para Games Indian para-athlete Navdeep Singh has credited the training environment and support at the Sports Authority of India’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi for helping him prepare for the Asian Para Games 2026, where he won bronze in the men’s javelin throw F40/F41 event. Navdeep, a Paris Paralympics gold medallist, improved on his fourth-place finish at the 2022 Asian Para Games by securing a podium finish in Aichi-Nagoya. “Most of us Asian Games-bound athletes, including me, did our preparations at the JLN Stadium for the Asian Games 2026,” Navdeep said after his medal-winning performance. “This allowed us to acclimatise and get the feel. Despite the ongoing (Indian Super League) football matches, they kept the Asian Games a priority, which I felt was quite impressive, and that supported me,” he added..Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: "IMAGINE ONE HEART: Hearts as one" .Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: India's best-ever finish!!! .Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: India script history with best-ever fourth-place finish India signed off from the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya with a historic performance, securing their best-ever finish of fourth place and their biggest medal haul across the five editions of the continental event. With the competition concluding on Saturday and only the Closing Ceremony remaining, India finished with a record 114 medals, including 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze. The fourth-place finish also marked a new high for the Indian contingent at the Asian Para Games, underlining the progress made by the country’s para-athletes on the continental stage. India had entered the final day in fourth place, but their position was not confirmed as South Korea remained within striking distance. 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..Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: Meet India's flag-bearers at closing ceremony 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, following outstanding campaigns in shooting and para-athletics. Both athletes won two gold medals each at the continental event, with Mona producing a record-breaking performance in shooting and Nishad excelling in the high jump and long jump. Their selection as flag-bearers recognises their achievements as India prepare to bring the Games to a close..Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: India record historic medal haul India also completed a landmark campaign, finishing with a record 114 medals — 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze. The tally surpassed the country’s previous best of 108 medals at the 2022 edition in Hangzhou. India’s 168-member para-athlete contingent delivered world-record performances, historic victories and podium sweeps across multiple disciplines, despite being significantly smaller than the 309 athletes who represented the country in Hangzhou..Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: Japan set for second-place finish Japan won 186 medals, including 64 gold, 60 silver and 62 bronze, to stand second in the final medal standings behind China. Takaichi expressed hope that Team Japan would build on its performances at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games and the next Asian Para Games in Doha, Qatar, in 2030..Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: Gratitude to athletes and support teams Takaichi expressed gratitude to the athletes for inspiring people across Japan, while paying tribute to their families, coaches and others who had supported their journeys. She said the Games provided an opportunity to showcase the appeal of para sports to audiences in Japan and abroad, helping more people connect with the disciplines..Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: Japanese PM on Asian Para Games .Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: ‘Profound beauty’ of para sports 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..Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: Japan hosts Asian Para Games for first time 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. Takaichi lauded Team Japan’s performances across disciplines, highlighting the athletes’ teamwork, determination and sportsmanship..Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: Takaichi praises athletes’ spirit Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi today praised the determination and achievements of athletes at the Asian Para Games 2026, saying their performances showcased the “profound beauty” of para sports as the Aichi-Nagoya Games drew to a close..Asian Para Games Closing Ceremony: India sign off with record medal haul Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the closing ceremony of the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. India signed off with a historic campaign, securing their best-ever fourth-place finish in the final medal standings. The Indian contingent clinched a record 114 medals, comprising 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze, surpassing its previous best of 108 medals at the 2022 edition in Hangzhou. As the Games draw to a close, India’s para-athletes have set a new benchmark with a memorable campaign featuring record-breaking performances and historic achievements.