Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor will be India’s flagbearers at the opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2026 at Aichi-Nagoya in Japan tomorrow. Manu Bhaker, who won two bronze medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics, will compete in the women’s 10m air pistol, women’s 25m pistol, and 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team. Tajinderpal Singh Toor will aim to secure his third consecutive Asian Games gold medal in men’s shot put.

The 20th edition of the Asian Games will run from tomorrow to October 4, with more than 500 Indian athletes set to compete across 37 sports. Athletes from 45 countries and regions are competing across 43 sports and 469 medal events in this edition of the Asian Games. Japan will host the continental multi-sport event for the third time, having previously staged it in Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.

India finished fourth in the Hangzhou medal standings with 107 medals, including 28 gold, 38 silver and 41 bronze, and will be aiming to maintain that momentum in Japan. The Indian contingent will feature five individual Olympic medallists despite the withdrawal of defending javelin throw champion Neeraj Chopra due to an ankle injury. PV Sindhu will spearhead the badminton campaign, while Mirabai Chanu leads the weightlifting contingent. Shooting will feature Manu Bhaker, Lovlina Borgohain will compete in boxing, and Aman Sehrawat will represent India in wrestling.