Aichi-Nagoya Disabled AG closing… Even if the torch goes out, the dream continues

(Nagoya = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Dong-han = The 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games (Asian Games for the Disabled) has completed 7 days of intense competition.

This competition ended with the closing ceremony held at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya, Japan on the afternoon of the 24th.

In Korea, Yoon Ji-yu (Seongnam City Hall), who won three gold medals in table tennis, including women's singles, mixed doubles, and women's doubles, entered as the flag bearer and held the Taegeukgi.

Yoon Ji-yu, who served as co-flagbearer with track and field athlete Jang Min-ho (Anyang City Hall) at the opening ceremony on the 18th, represented the athletes at the closing ceremony as well, marking the beginning and end of the competition.

Dancers and volunteers formed a passageway to welcome the flag bearers of each national Paralympic Committee, and finally the Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) flag entered.

The closing ceremony concept, like the opening ceremony, was ‘WABI (We Are Beautiful Individuals).’ The spirit derived from the tea ceremony culture of the Aichi region is reinterpreted in a modern way, with the intention of respecting each person's unique strengths and differences.

The 'Wooz Woods Dance', performed by the competition's mascot Woo Zumin and dancers, was designed as a stage where players and spectators moved their bodies in their own ways and celebrated each other's differences.

Aichi Prefecture Governor Hideaki Omura, who chaired the organizing committee, expressed his gratitude to the athletes, officials, and volunteers in his greeting.

Governor Omura said, "There is no end to human potential, and continuing to take on challenges is the way to create a brighter future," and said that the athletes' challenges have inspired and moved the world.

He added, “Even though individual thoughts and actions may seem small, when they come together, they can become a powerful force that can change society.”

APC Chairman Majid Rashed said, “For the first time in the history of the Asian Para Games, all 45 National Paralympic Committees participated, and 81 Asian records and 27 world records were broken,” and encouraged, “Athletes are the heart and soul of this Games.”

He continued, “The competition ends tonight, but the dream it sparked must continue,” and added, “We will meet again at the 2030 Doha Asian Para Games.”

The APC flag that came down from the flagpole was delivered from the host Aichi/Nagoya side to the next host site Doha, Qatar, via Chairman Rashed. The Qatari flag was raised and the national anthem was played, announcing the 6th Games to be held in Doha in 2030.

The torch extinguishing performance that followed expressed the cycle of fire and water. While playing the koto, a traditional Japanese stringed instrument, and a clay instrument, the dancers showed through their movements the process of water vapor turning into clouds and rain and returning to the ground.

With only the sound of rain remaining, the flame was extinguished by covering firewood with sand, and the water boiled with the heat was turned into tea.

The dance team 'Joyboy', local college student dancers, and mascot Uzumin gathered at the stadium and clapped their hands and shouted 'ocha' (お茶), which means tea in Japanese, to thank the players for their hard work and support their new start.

And so the 7-day journey came to an end.

In the Asian Para Games, held for the first time in Japan, about 4,000 people from 45 national Paralympic committees participated and competed in 18 sports.

Korea, which dispatched 357 people (214 athletes and 143 executives) to all sports, won a total of 100 medals, including 29 gold medals, 38 silver medals, and 33 bronze medals, and ranked 5th overall.

This is a performance that exceeded both goals of more than 21 gold medals and 6th place overall.