Chandigarh [India], September 19 (ANI): Haryana Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam on Saturday extended his best wishes to athletes from the state participating in the Asian Games 2026, saying 80 sportspersons from Haryana will represent India at the continental multi-sport event.
Speaking to reporters, Gautam said the athletes would carry the Indian flag with pride in Japan and expressed confidence in their performances.
"The Asian Games are starting on September 19, with 80 athletes from Haryana participating. They will wave the Indian tricolour in Japan and return to India with medals," Gaurav Gautam said.
The 20th Asian Games began in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday and will continue till October 4. Athletes from across Asia are competing in multiple sporting disciplines at the continental event.
Haryana has been one of India's key contributors in several sports, particularly in disciplines such as wrestling, boxing, athletics and shooting.
Meanwhile, Kabaddi star Pawan Sehrawat and Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker led the Indian contingent at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Saturday.
The ceremony at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium marked the formal opening of the 20th Asian Games, with India represented by a 503-athlete contingent across 36 sports. Sehrawat, a member of India's gold-medal-winning men's kabaddi team at the previous Asian Games, now has the distinction of carrying the Tricolour at the opening ceremony alongside Bhaker. Bhaker, a double Olympic medallist, is among India's prominent athletes at the Games.
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. She made history in Paris by becoming the first athlete from independent India to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympic Games.
In a video message ahead of the ceremony, Bhaker said that realising that she was chosen as one of the flag-bearers left her with a "heartwarming" feeling, and all she could experience was flashbacks of her early days in the sport and reflections on how far she has come.
"Honestly, when I found out yesterday, I had all these flashback memories of my earlier days. And, you know, when I started, I never thought that this was where I could reach one day in my sport. So, it is definitely a very heartwarming feeling. I feel really proud, really honoured, and really, really happy to be chosen as the flag bearer for my country. I just want to say thank you to God and thank you to everyone for all the love and support," she said.
India will be aiming to outdo the 2022 edition, where they secured a record-breaking 107 medals, including 28 gold, 38 silver and 41 bronze. (ANI)
80 athletes from Haryana participating in Asian Games 2026, says state's Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam
