New Delhi, October 16: India’s 168-member contingent, comprising 112 men and 56 women, has received extensive government support ahead of the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
The support includes international competition exposure, domestic training camps, equipment and overseas training, with a total of ₹98.56 crore allocated under the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition (ACTC) and the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
Of the total contingent, 47 athletes are part of TOPS, 33 are Khelo India Athletes (KIAs), while 61 are making their debut at the continental multi-sport event.
The government extended ₹80.22 crore under ACTC, while ₹18.34 crore was allocated through TOPS to strengthen preparations across the 11 sporting disciplines in which India will compete.
As part of the preparations, National Coaching Camps (NCCs) were organised at multiple Sports Authority of India (SAI) centres across the country. The para-archery contingent also received international exposure through a training camp at the Kurobe Archery Center in Japan between September and October.
Domestically, para-archers trained at the SAI Regional Centre in Sonipat, while para-swimming and para-powerlifting camps were conducted at the SAI Regional Centre in Gandhinagar.
Additional national coaching camps for para-athletes were organised at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, SAI Sonipat and the SAI Regional Centre in Bengaluru during September and October.
Para-shooters trained at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi, while the men’s blind football team prepared in Kochi. Blind judo athletes attended a training camp at the Indian Para Judo Academy in Lucknow in October. The SAI Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi served as the training venue for para-cycling.
India will compete in para-athletics, para-archery, para-badminton, para-table tennis, boccia, blind football, para-cycling, blind judo, para-powerlifting, para-shooting and para-swimming at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
Indian para-badminton and para-table tennis players, along with the men’s blind football team, began their campaigns on Friday, October 16.
The opening ceremony is scheduled for October 18, with para-badminton star Pramod Bhagat and para-table tennis player Bhavina Patel serving as India’s flagbearers. The medal events will take place from October 19 to 24, as India’s para-athletes look to translate months of preparation and government backing into a strong medal haul.
