India finished fourth at the 5th Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi Nagoya, Japan, with a record haul of 114 medals, including 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze. The Games were held from 18 to 24 October 2026 across Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya with around 4,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions. China topped the table with 435 medals, while hosts Japan finished second and the closing ceremony handed the Games flag to Doha for 2030.
What Is the Asian Para Games?
The Asian Para Games is a multi sport event for athletes with disabilities in Asia. It is regulated by the Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) and is recognised by the International Paralympic Committee. It is described as the second largest multi sport para event after the Paralympic Games.
The Games are held every four years, usually in the same host city and year as the Asian Games. The first edition was held in Guangzhou, China in 2010. It succeeded the FESPIC Games, which were held for athletes of the Far East and South Pacific region from 1975 to 2006.
The APC was formed on 30 October 2002 in Busan, South Korea, as the Asian Paralympic Council. It took its present name in 2006 after merging with the FESPIC Federation. The committee is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is led by President Majid Rashed, and has 45 member National Paralympic Committees.
Past editions show steady growth in scale:
| Edition | Year | Host City | Countries | Sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2010 | Guangzhou, China | 41 | 19 |
| 2nd | 2014 | Incheon, South Korea | 41 | 23 |
| 3rd | 2018 | Jakarta, Indonesia | 43 | 18 |
| 4th | 2022, held in 2023 | Hangzhou, China | 44 | 22 |
| 5th | 2026 | Aichi Nagoya, Japan | 45 | 18 |
Aichi Nagoya 2026: Schedule, Venues and Sports Programme
The 5th Asian Para Games were held in Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya, Japan, from 18 to 24 October 2026. This was the first time Japan hosted the Asian Para Games. The main venue was the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, which hosted the opening ceremony on 18 October and the closing ceremony on 24 October.
About 4,000 athletes and team officials from a record 45 countries and regions took part. They competed in 18 sports across 19 venues, mostly in Aichi Prefecture, with para cycling held in Izu in Shizuoka Prefecture. The slogan for the Games was Imagine One Heart, and the ceremony concept was WABI, We Are Beautiful Individuals.
The sports programme covered para archery, para athletics, para badminton, boccia, para cycling, blind football, goalball, para judo, para powerlifting, shooting para sport, sitting volleyball, para swimming, para table tennis, para taekwondo, wheelchair basketball, para fencing, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair tennis. Para athletics offered the most gold medals at 159 events, followed by para swimming at 114 events.
The Games mascot was UZUMIN. The name combines Uzu, meaning whirlpool, and Izumi, meaning spring, in Japanese. The design links water, which shaped the craft industry of Aichi, with the shachihoko, the tiger headed fish figure seen on Nagoya Castle. Organisers said it expressed the hope that the passion of para athletes would gather like a whirlpool in Aichi Nagoya and spread across Asia like a spring.
Medal Table: How India Finished Fourth With 114 Medals
China finished far ahead of all other teams with 207 gold, 117 silver and 111 bronze for a total of 435 medals. China has now topped every edition of the Asian Para Games since 2010. Hosts Japan finished second with 64 gold, 60 silver and 62 bronze for 186 medals, which was its best result at the Games.
Uzbekistan was third with 45 gold and 145 medals in total. India was fourth with 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze. South Korea completed the top five with 29 gold and 100 medals.
| Rank | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 207 | 117 | 111 | 435 |
| 2 | Japan | 64 | 60 | 62 | 186 |
| 3 | Uzbekistan | 45 | 49 | 51 | 145 |
| 4 | India | 30 | 35 | 49 | 114 |
| 5 | South Korea | 29 | 38 | 33 | 100 |
| 6 | Iran | 26 | 36 | 40 | 102 |
| 7 | Thailand | 19 | 40 | 66 | 125 |
| 8 | Indonesia | 15 | 21 | 37 | 73 |
| 9 | Kazakhstan | 12 | 16 | 22 | 50 |
| 10 | Iraq | 7 | 8 | 8 | 23 |
India crossed the 100 medal mark for the second straight edition. Its tally of 114 medals passed the previous best of 108 medals won at Hangzhou. The fourth place finish equals the best rank India has achieved at the Asian Para Games. A total of 33 teams won at least one medal, and 22 teams won at least one gold. Tajikistan and Cambodia won their first Asian Para Games medals in Aichi Nagoya.
How India Won 114 Medals in Aichi Nagoya
India sent a contingent of 167 athletes, including 111 men and 56 women, who competed in 11 sports. Pramod Bhagat from badminton and Simran Sharma from athletics carried the national flag at the opening ceremony. Double gold winners Nishad Kumar and Mona Agarwal carried the flag at the closing ceremony at Mizuho Park Stadium.
Para athletics was again the largest source of medals. India won 65 medals in athletics, including 22 gold, 19 silver and 24 bronze. That total was 12 more than the 53 athletics medals won at Hangzhou. China led athletics with 98 medals, followed by India.
| Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athletics | 22 | 19 | 24 | 65 |
| Badminton | 3 | 5 | 8 | 16 |
| Swimming | 0 | 3 | 8 | 11 |
| Table Tennis | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Archery | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Shooting | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Powerlifting | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Judo | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 30 | 35 | 49 | 114 |
Several Indian athletes won more than one gold. High jumper and long jumper Nishad Kumar won the mens long jump T47 with 7.11 metres and the mens high jump T47 with 2.04 metres, which set a new Games record. Shooter Mona Agarwal won the womens 10 metre air rifle standing SH1 with a Games record and the womens 50 metre rifle three positions SH1 with a world record.
Archer Sheetal Devi won two gold medals and one silver. She won the mixed team compound event with Toman Kumar and defended her womens individual compound title. Sprinter Simran Sharma won the womens 100 metre and 200 metre T12 events. Dilip Gavit won the mens 100 metre and 400 metre T47 races, while Pranav Soorma won gold in discus throw and club throw in the F51 class. Javelin thrower Sumit Antil, a two time Paralympic champion, defended his Asian Para Games title in the combined F42 to F44 and F61 to F64 class.
APC Flag Handover: Doha to Host 6th Asian Para Games in 2030
The Games closed on 24 October 2026 with a ceremony at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium. APC President Majid Rashed declared the Games closed. The APC flag was then handed from Aichi Governor Hideaki Ohmura to the team of Doha 2030.
Doha in Qatar will host the 6th Asian Para Games in 2030, along with the 21st Asian Games. Qatar received both the Asian Games flag and the Asian Para Games flag in October 2026. The Doha 2030 slogan is The Games We Live For. The organising committee said it would work with the APC and National Paralympic Committees to prepare venues and support services for para athletes. Riyadh in Saudi Arabia is listed as the host for the following edition in 2034.
Key Takeaways
- India finished fourth at the 5th Asian Para Games 2026 with 114 medals, including 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze.
- The Games were held in Aichi Nagoya, Japan, from 18 to 24 October 2026 across 18 sports and 19 venues.
- China topped the medal table with 435 medals, including 207 gold, followed by Japan and Uzbekistan.
- Para athletics gave India 65 medals, including 22 gold, with double golds for Nishad Kumar and Sheetal Devi among the standout shows.
- The APC flag was handed to Doha, Qatar, which will host the 6th Asian Para Games in 2030.
