Asian Para Games 2026: Archery contingent backed with exposure in Japan, SAI centres host national camps for multiple disciplines
New Delhi, October 16
The 168-member strong Asian Para Games contingent has received intensive backing from the Government of India to ensure the team returns with flying colours from Aichi-Nagoya.
The teams have been supported in the form of international competition exposure, domestic training, equipment, overseas training and more, as per a press release.
The Indian para badminton and para table tennis players, as well as the blind football men's team, opened their campaign at the Asian Para Games 2026 this Friday. A total of 47 Indian athletes in the contingent are part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), 33 are Khelo India Athletes (KIAs), and 61 are debutants.
The support to the contingent has been broadly provided under the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition (ACTC) and TOPS. While a total of ₹80.22 crore was extended under ACTC, a sustained investment of Rs 18.34 Cr was made under TOPS.
As part of preparations for athletes across the 11 sports disciplines, National Coaching Camps (NCC) were scheduled for athletes across various disciplines at numerous centres, while an international camp was facilitated for the para-archery contingent at the Kurobe Archery Centre in Japan, between September and October.
Domestically, the para-archers went through training at the Sports Authority of India's Regional Centre in Sonipat, while camps for para swimmers and para powerlifters were held at the SAI Regional Centre in Gandhinagar during the same time frame. The para-athletes also attended NCC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, SAI Sonipat and the SAI Regional Centre in Bengaluru from September to October.
Camps also took place for the para shooters at Dr. Karni Singh shooting range, and blind football players trained in Kochi. Meanwhile, blind judo athletes attended a camp at the Indian Para Judo Academy in Lucknow this October. The cycling velodrome at the SAI IG Stadium in New Delhi remained the training site for para cycling.
India are taking part in the Aichi-Nagoya Games in the following sports disciplines: Para athletics, para-archery, para badminton, para table tennis, boccia, blind football, para cycling, blind judo, para powerlifting, para shooting and para swimming.
The opening ceremony is scheduled for October 18, where shuttler Pramod Bhagat and para table tennis player Bhavina Patel will remain the flagbearers for India. The medal events are scheduled from October 19 to 24.
— ANI
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