Paralympic champion Pramod Bhagat and Paralympic silver medallist Bhavina Patel have been named India’s flag bearers for the Opening Ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games in Japan on October 18. The fifth Asian Para Games will be held from October 18 to 24, with around 3,000 athletes from 45 National Paralympic Committees expected to compete across 18 para-sports.
The announcement comes days after India completed its Asian Games campaign in Aichi-Nagoya with 85 medals, including 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze, finishing fourth overall. Bhagat and Patel, two of India’s most accomplished para-athletes, will now lead the country’s para contingent into another major continental competition.
Union Sports Minister @mansukhmandviya presents the national flag to para-badminton player Pramod Bhagat during the send-off ceremony for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games 2026 in New Delhi. #AsianParaGames | #AsianParaGames2026 | @YASMinistry | @Media_SAI | #ParaGames https://t.co/hJQZD0Fsde
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) October 8, 2026
Pramod Bhagat’s Journey
Bhagat has established himself as one of India’s leading para-badminton players, with success at both the Paralympic and Asian Para Games levels. He has won six Asian Para Games medals between 2014 and 2023, including two gold and four bronze medals. His selection as a flag bearer adds another distinction to a career that has helped raise the profile of para-badminton in India.
His presence at the Opening Ceremony will also represent the experience of an athlete who has competed and won on some of the sport’s biggest stages. Bhagat will share the honour with Patel as India looks to begin its campaign in Nagoya with confidence.
Bhavina Patel’s Journey
Patel has similarly become a prominent figure in Indian para sport through her performances in para table tennis. She has won two Asian Para Games medals, a silver and a bronze, across the 2018 and 2023 editions. She is also a Paralympic silver medallist.
Reacting to her selection as flag bearer, Patel described it as “a very proud moment” and said carrying the Tricolour meant representing “something much bigger than yourself”. She added that she was excited to walk into the Opening Ceremony with Bhagat and hoped the Indian athletes would compete with confidence, enjoy the moment and give their best for India.
India’s 85-Medal Momentum
The appointment comes immediately after a strong Asian Games campaign for India in the same host region. At the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held from September 19 to October 4, India finished fourth with 85 medals: 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze.
The Indian Olympic Association described the result as the country’s second-highest medal tally in Asian Games history. Athletics contributed 24 medals, shooting 15 and archery nine, while India also secured gold medals in cricket, hockey and kabaddi. The Asian Para Games are a separate competition, but their arrival gives India’s para-athletes an opportunity to create their own achievements at the same continental sporting destination.
India’s Para Contingent
India will compete through the Paralympic Committee of India, the country’s recognised National Paralympic Committee for the Games. The PCI has established selection processes covering disciplines including para athletics, para swimming, para shooting and para powerlifting, among others.
However, the publicly available PCI material does not provide a single final, consolidated athlete-by-athlete roster that can safely be treated as the complete Indian contingent. For that reason, athletes should not be described as part of the final team unless their selection is officially confirmed. Bhagat and Patel are confirmed leaders of the contingent, while the broader Indian team will compete across the 18-sport programme in Nagoya.
A Growing Para Legacy
India enters the Asian Para Games with a strong record from previous editions. At the Hangzhou Asian Para Games in 2022, India recorded its best performance in the event’s history, winning 111 medals, including 29 gold. Female athletes accounted for 40 of those medals. India’s medal haul has grown significantly across successive editions, from 14 medals in 2010 to 33 in 2014 and 72 in 2018 before the record-breaking 111-medal performance in Hangzhou. The 2026 Games therefore present another opportunity for Indian para-athletes to build on that progress and strengthen the country’s presence across para-sport disciplines.
Jhajharia’s Message
PCI president Devendra Jhajharia welcomed the appointment, describing Bhagat and Patel as “exceptional champions” who have contributed significantly to the growth of Indian para sport. He said their journeys, achievements and resilience make them fitting representatives of the Indian contingent and expressed confidence that they would inspire the athletes competing in Nagoya.
The PCI is scheduled to formally send off the Indian contingent in New Delhi on October 8, with Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya as chief guest and Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse as guest of honour.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Bhagat and Patel carrying the Tricolour is more than a ceremonial moment. It recognises athletes whose achievements have helped make para sport more visible while reminding us that sporting excellence should not be defined by disability.
India’s growing medal record is encouraging, but lasting progress requires accessible facilities, sustained funding, strong grassroots programmes, fair selection systems and opportunities for athletes beyond major Games.
As India’s para-athletes prepare to compete in Nagoya, how can we ensure that their achievements lead to greater inclusion, accessibility and respect for persons with disabilities in everyday life?
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