New Delhi [India], September 18 (ANI): Double Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker and shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor will be India’s flagbearers at the opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday.
Team India confirmed the announcement through its official account on X, writing, "Introducing our flag bearers for the Opening Ceremony of the Asian Games 2026 - @realmanubhaker and @Tajinder_Singh3. Let’s #Cheer4Bharat as #TeamIndia readies to take on the field."
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.
Toor, meanwhile, will aim to secure his third consecutive Asian Games gold medal in men’s shot put. He won gold at the 2018 Jakarta Games and the 2023 Hangzhou edition, where he recorded a throw of 20.36 metres.
The 20th edition of the Asian Games will run from September 19 to October 4, with more than 500 Indian athletes set to compete across 37 sports.
India’s chef de mission Sahdev Yadav had earlier confirmed Bhaker’s appointment. The Athletics Federation of India subsequently confirmed Toor as the second flagbearer.
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.
India's boxers will arrive after a record-breaking Commonwealth Games campaign, where they secured 10 medals, including seven gold.
Athletics is expected to be a major part of India's campaign, with more than 70 track and field athletes set to compete. Gulveer Singh, Tejaswin Shankar and Olympian Sarvesh Kushare are among the names to watch, while Tajinderpal Singh Toor will aim to extend his dominance in the shot put after winning the title at the previous two editions.
India will also seek to defend its men's and women's titles in cricket and kabaddi, along with the men's hockey crown.
In men's cricket, Shreyas Iyer will lead the title defence in the T20 competition, with teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also included in the squad. The women's team, also defending champions, will be led by T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
Hockey will carry added significance, with the men's and women's tournaments serving as qualification events for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The winners of both competitions will secure direct Olympic qualification.
India will also have opportunities to earn LA 2028 quota places in archery, sailing, squash, surfing and tennis. (ANI)
Asian Games 2026: Manu Bhaker, Tajinderpal Singh Toor set to be Indian flagbearers in opening ceremony
