Closing Ceremony Live: Shooter Neeru Dhanda set to carry India's flag
Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the closing ceremony of the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya.
The Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya slowly began filling up as fans arrived for the Asian Games opening ceremony.
The 30,000-capacity venue prepared to welcome athletes from 45 nations, with the ceremony built around the theme ‘Harmonic Heart Beat’ and the Games’ wider message of ‘Imagine One Asia’.
The Indian athletes are ready and they have reached Nagoya for the closing ceremony. The Indian contingent appear to be in high spirits as they get ready for the celebratory walk after a sensational campaign in Japan.
India signed off on the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with a gold medal in men's hockey, beating Malaysia 5-1 in Saturday's final. The victory took India's tally to 21 gold medals and 85 medals overall, enough to secure another top-five finish.
The final numbers, however, were below India's record-breaking performance in Hangzhou. India won 106 medals in 2022, including 28 golds, meaning the Aichi-Nagoya campaign ended with 21 fewer medals overall and seven fewer golds.
It was a campaign of contrasting fortunes, with several expected results followed by disappointing setbacks. India, in fact, were outside the top 10 of the medal table as recently as Thursday, with only 10 gold medals.
The final two days changed the picture dramatically. Hockey and cricket delivered gold, while archery, boxing and wrestling added crucial medals to India's haul. The late burst brought 11 more gold medals and lifted India back into the top five, ensuring the campaign ended on a much brighter note. With this, India finished in fourth in the standings.
India’s women’s flag-bearer for the Asian Games closing ceremony has been confirmed, with shooting star Neeru Dhanda chosen to lead the contingent in Nagoya.
Dhanda has enjoyed a memorable Games, winning two gold medals and a silver. She had returned to India after securing her third medal, a gold in the trap mixed team event alongside Kynan Chenai, but will head back to Nagoya on Saturday morning for the closing ceremony.
The men’s flag-bearer is yet to be named, with the Indian contingent expected to make the announcement ahead of Sunday’s ceremony.
According to the broadcasters, the closing ceremony is set to start at 6 pm local time. That means that viewers in India can watch the spectacle from 2:30 pm IST. The full coverage of the event will be covered by the Sony Sports Network.
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games are set to draw the curtains on Sunday, October 4, bringing 16 days of action across Japan to a close.
The closing ceremony is taking place in Nagoya, where athletes and officials have gathered for the final celebrations as the Games officially come to an end.
The baton will be officially passed to Doha, Qatar and all eyes will now be on Asian Games 2030.
