The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games came to an end on Sunday after more than two weeks of sporting action, with the Olympic Council of Asia formally handing over the baton to Doha, which will host the 2030 edition.
OCA President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani declared the 20th Asian Games closed at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium. Thousands of athletes, officials and spectators gathered for the closing ceremony, which was held under the theme 'One Asia'. "Tonight, as we lower the flag on Aichi-Nagoya 2026, we close these Games, but we raise the bar for Asian sport. The flame may be extinguished, but the hopes it has ignited will continue to burn brightly across our continent," Al Thani said.
Shooter Neeru Dhandha, one of India's standout performers at the Games, carried the national flag at the closing ceremony after a memorable campaign in which she won two gold medals and a silver.
India finished fourth in the overall medal standings with 85 medals,including 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze. The tally was 21 medals fewer than India's haul at the previous edition in Hangzhou, where it won 106 medals, including 28 gold. India finished fourth on both occasions
China topped the standings for the 12th consecutive edition with 341 medals, including 169 gold. Host Japan finished second with 269 medals, including 83 gold, while South Korea were third with 150 medals, including 39 gold.
A late surge helped India retain its position in the top four, with the country winning 11 gold medals in the final two days of competition.
The Games also saw India produce several memorable performances, with Dhandha emerging as one of the standout athletes. She became the first Indian, man or woman, to win an Asian Games gold medal in the individual trap event and added another gold and a silver to finish with three medals.
The performances across the fortnight also underlined India's growing strength across disciplines, even as the overall medal tally fell short of the 106 medals won in Hangzhou.
Shooting and athletics were among the disciplines that returned with fewer medals than they managed at the previous Asian Games, highlighting areas where India will look to improve ahead of the next major multi-sport events.
The Aichi-Nagoya Games featured a record 43 sports, with padel, mixed martial arts, teqball and surfing making their Asian Games debuts. More than 350 records were broken during the Games, including over 50 world records, according to the OCA.
The closing ceremony at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium was held under the theme 'One Asia' and lasted around 90 minutes.
The ceremony featured a celebration of Japanese culture, with music, lights and traditional performances forming the centrepiece of the evening.
Only the flag bearers marched into the stadium initially before the contingents entered together for the athletes' parade. Around 30 Indian athletes and officials took part, led by Dhandha.
The OCA flag was subsequently handed over to Qatar as part of the traditional closing ceremony.
Olympic and world champion high jumper Mutaz Barshim featured in the handover ceremony, with Qatar showcasing its preparations to host the 2030 Asian Games.
Qatar is scheduled to host the 2030 Asian Games, although the OCA may consider moving the event to 2031 so that it can serve as a continental Olympic qualification event ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
For India, Aichi-Nagoya offered a mix of progress and areas for improvement. The fourth-place finish was retained, while the 85-medal haul included 21 gold medals.
The baton now passes to Doha, with the 21st Asian Games set to bring Asia's best athletes together again in four years.
Qatar is scheduled to host the 2030 Asian Games, although the OCA may consider moving the event to 2031 so that it can serve as a continental Olympic qualification event ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
Source: India Today