Asian Games 2026: Flag-bearers Manu Bhaker, Pawan Sehrawat lead India during opening ceremony in Nagoya; watch video
The Indian contingent took part in the athletes’ parade at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday, with Manu Bhaker and Pawan Sehrawat leading the delegation as flag-bearers.
The opening ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games was held at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium, formally marking the start of the 20th edition of the continental multi-sport event.
A 158-member Indian contingent participated in the opening ceremony parade. India’s overall contingent for the Games comprises 503 athletes, with competitors set to participate across a wide range of sports.
The athletes’ parade featured representatives from participating nations and regions as part of the opening ceremony proceedings.
Sehrawat replaces Toor as flag-bearer
Bhaker carried the Indian flag alongside Sehrawat. Bhaker had originally been named as the female flag-bearer, while shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor was initially selected as the male flag-bearer. However, the Indian Olympic Association made a last-minute change before the ceremony, with Sehrawat replacing Toor.
The change followed an issue involving Toor’s official ceremonial kit. The two-time Asian Games shot-put champion said his ceremonial kit was still in India and was expected to reach Nagoya airport at around 3 pm local time.
He said collecting the kit and reaching the stadium in time for the ceremony would be difficult. The IOA described the reason for his replacement as a technical issue.
Sehrawat therefore joined Bhaker at the front of the Indian contingent during the Parade of Nations. The kabaddi player was part of India’s gold-medal-winning men’s kabaddi team at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Bhaker will be gunning for gold after having clinched two bronze medals Paris 2024 Olympics. She won bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol and another bronze as part of India’s mixed team 10m air pistol pairing with Sarabjot Singh.
Toor, meanwhile, remains part of India’s athletics campaign despite missing the opening ceremony.
He is the defending Asian Games men’s shot put champion, having won gold at both the 2018 Jakarta and 2022 Hangzhou editions, and will be hoping to win a hat-trick of gold medals.
India’s athletics contingent had been based at the University of Tsukuba near Tokyo for an acclimatisation camp and was scheduled to travel to Nagoya later.
The opening ceremony came after several Indian athletes had already begun competing because events in disciplines including women’s cricket, soft tennis and teqball started before the formal opening of the Games.
The India women’s cricket team qualified for the semifinals after defeating hosts Japan on Friday. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will next face Bangladesh in the semifinals on Sunday.
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will feature 43 sports, with athletes from 45 countries and regions participating. Japan is hosting the Asian Games for the third time, following the 1958 Tokyo and 1994 Hiroshima editions.
