India has approved a 281-member contingent for the 5th Asian Para Games 2026, which Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, will host from October 18 to 24. Specifically, the squad comprises 168 athletes, 98 team officials and support staff, and 15 contingent staff. Moreover, Indian athletes will compete across 11 sports disciplines.
According to the sanction letter that the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports issued on October 13, 2026, the contingent includes 112 male and 56 female athletes. In addition, the Ministry named Paralympic champions Pramod Bhagat and Bhavina Patel as India’s flag bearers for the Opening Ceremony.
Pramod Bhagat and Bhavina Patel to Lead India’s Contingent
At the Opening Ceremony, para badminton star Pramod Bhagat and para table tennis champion Bhavina Patel will carry the Indian flag.
In fact, Bhagat has won six Asian Para Games medals between 2014 and 2023, including two gold and four bronze medals. Similarly, Patel has secured two medals at the continental event, winning one silver and one bronze between 2018 and 2023.
Therefore, their selection as flag bearers recognises two of India’s leading para-athletes as the country prepares for another continental multi-sport event.
Para Athletics Leads India’s Athlete Contingent
With 62 athletes, including 46 men and 16 women, para athletics accounts for the largest share of India’s squad. Meanwhile, para badminton is the second-largest discipline with 28 athletes, followed by para swimming with 16.
India has also selected 13 athletes for para shooting, 11 for para archery, and 10 each for blind football and para table tennis.
Below is the sport-wise breakdown of India’s 168 athletes:
| Sport | Total Athletes | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Para Athletics | 62 | 46 | 16 |
| Para Badminton | 28 | 17 | 11 |
| Para Swimming | 16 | 14 | 2 |
| Para Shooting | 13 | 7 | 6 |
| Para Archery | 11 | 6 | 5 |
| Blind Football | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| Para Table Tennis | 10 | 4 | 6 |
| Para Powerlifting | 8 | 4 | 4 |
| Para Judo | 7 | 2 | 5 |
| Boccia | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Para Cycling | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 168 | 112 | 56 |
India Sends a Smaller Squad Compared to Hangzhou 2023
However, India’s athlete contingent for 2026 is smaller than the 303 athletes who represented the country at the 2023 edition in Hangzhou, China.
Firstly, changes in the sports programme explain the reduction, because the 2026 programme drops blind chess, para rowing and para canoeing. In addition, the organisers have set tighter athlete quotas.
In particular, para athletics has seen a significant reduction, with India’s representation falling from 123 athletes in Hangzhou to 62 for Aichi-Nagoya.
Even so, India will compete in 11 disciplines despite the smaller contingent. Furthermore, para athletics and para badminton account for more than half of the selected athletes.
113 Officials and Support Personnel to Back Indian Athletes
In addition to the athletes, coaches, medical personnel, technical staff and other officials will support the Indian contingent throughout the competition.
According to the Ministry’s sanction letter, there are 113 officials, comprising 87 men and 26 women. These include officials and support personnel across the participating disciplines, as well as National Paralympic Committee (NPC) officials.
Overall, the 281-member contingent includes 168 athletes and 113 officials and staff. Specifically, the opening of the sanction letter identifies 98 team officials and support staff and 15 contingent staff.
Asian Para Games 2026: Dates and Venue
Finally, Japan’s Aichi-Nagoya region will host the 5th Asian Para Games from October 18 to 24, 2026. As a result, para-athletes from across Asia will gather to compete in multiple sports.
In short, India will field athletes across 11 disciplines, with para athletics forming its largest team. Moreover, with experienced international medallists such as Pramod Bhagat and Bhavina Patel leading the contingent at the Opening Ceremony, the Indian team will look to make its presence felt.
Lastly, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports issued the official contingent approval on October 13, 2026.
Source: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India
