Kolkata : Two-time Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and two-time Asian Games champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor will lead India at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 opening ceremony.
Their appointments were confirmed on Friday, with India’s Chef de Mission Sahdev Yadav announcing Bhaker’s selection and the Athletics Federation of India confirming Toor as the second flag-bearer.
Bhaker made history at the Paris 2024 Olympics by becoming the first Indian female athlete to win two medals at a single edition of the Games. She won bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol before teaming up with Sarabjot Singh to claim another bronze in the mixed team 10m air pistol event.
Toor, meanwhile, has won gold at the last two editions of the Asian Games. He clinched the shot put title at Jakarta 2018 before successfully defending his crown at Hangzhou 2023, where he produced a best throw of 20.36m.
Both are among India’s leading medal hopes at the Aichi-Nagoya Games, which officially begin on September 19. India will have a 492-athlete contingent at the Games and will look to build on its record 107-medal haul from Hangzhou.
For Bhaker, the flag-bearing honour adds another milestone to a career that changed dramatically at the Paris Olympics. Her two bronze medals made her the first Indian female athlete to win multiple medals at one Olympics, putting her among the country’s most recognisable sporting figures.
Toor will head into the Games with the chance to extend an impressive Asian Games record. The 31-year-old has won the men’s shot put gold at the last two editions and will be chasing a third consecutive title in Aichi-Nagoya.
Their selection comes after India lost one of its biggest medal hopes before the Games. Neeraj Chopra withdrew from the Asian Games after suffering an ankle ligament tear in training, bringing his 2026 season to an early end.
For Bhaker, it is another major moment after her historic Olympic campaign. For Toor, it is an opportunity to lead India into an Asian Games where he will once again be chasing gold himself.
India has sent a contingent of 503 athletes this year to the Asian Games, up from the initial 492 with four surfers, six athletes and one Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter being the last minute additions. The contingent consists of 269 men and 234 women. Backing the competitors is a 265-member support group, which includes 246 coaches and support staff alongside 19 Indian Olympic Association contingent officials. The total remains below the record contingent sent to the Hangzhou edition three years ago, where India fielded 661 athletes (333 men and 328 women).
India had won 106 medals at the last Asiad which was hosted in Hangzhou, China in 2022, by far the most the nation has won at a single edition of the Games. It was also the first time that the contingent won more than 100 medals at a single edition of the Asian Games. They won 28 gold, 38 silver and 40 bronze, all three being the most for the country at a single edition of the Asian Games.
India will defend its Asian Games titles in men’s and women’s cricket and kabaddi, while the men’s hockey team will also arrive as the reigning champion.
PV Sindhu will spearhead India’s badminton campaign, while Mirabai Chanu will lead the weightlifting contingent. Bhaker will be among the country’s key shooting contenders, with Aman Sehrawat representing India in wrestling and Lovlina Borgohain leading the boxing challenge.
Athletics will feature more than 75 Indian competitors, with Gulveer Singh, Tejaswin Shankar, Murali Sreeshankar, Jyothi Yarraji and Parul Chaudhary among the prominent names expected to challenge for medals. Toor will be one of the leading figures in the field events.
The Games will also carry added significance in several disciplines, with Olympic qualification quotas available in archery, sailing, squash, surfing and tennis.
