Para Games Closing Ceremony: Flag-bearers Nishad, Mona to lead India’s celebrations

Navdeep also highlighted the benefits of having access to the stadium’s main track and dedicated training areas, saying the facility helped athletes prepare without unnecessary interruptions or delays. He explained that training at the JLN Stadium allowed him to concentrate on his throws rather than waiting for other athletes to finish their turns.

“Sprinters need an empty track, so they got a good chance to train inside it. I majorly train at the SAI Regional Centres (Bengaluru, Sonipat and Gandhinagar), where there is not much crowd and I don’t have to wait for other athletes to finish their throws. This all happened here at the JLN Stadium too. I could focus on my preparations rather than focusing on rotations and waiting for my turn,” Navdeep said.

He also expressed hope of returning to the facility next season. More than 50 other para-athletes train at the SAI JLN Stadium, which continues to serve as a base for athletes across disciplines. Navdeep was among 14 medallists at the Asian Para Games who trained there ahead of the continental competition.

Indian para-athlete Navdeep Singh has credited the training environment and support at the Sports Authority of India’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi for helping him prepare for the Asian Para Games 2026, where he won bronze in the men’s javelin throw F40/F41 event. Navdeep, a Paris Paralympics gold medallist, improved on his fourth-place finish at the 2022 Asian Para Games by securing a podium finish in Aichi-Nagoya.

“Most of us Asian Games-bound athletes, including me, did our preparations at the JLN Stadium for the Asian Games 2026,” Navdeep said after his medal-winning performance. “This allowed us to acclimatise and get the feel. Despite the ongoing (Indian Super League) football matches, they kept the Asian Games a priority, which I felt was quite impressive, and that supported me,” he added.

India signed off from the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya with a historic performance, securing their best-ever finish of fourth place and their biggest medal haul across the five editions of the continental event.

With the competition concluding on Saturday and only the Closing Ceremony remaining, India finished with a record 114 medals, including 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze. The fourth-place finish also marked a new high for the Indian contingent at the Asian Para Games, underlining the progress made by the country’s para-athletes on the continental stage.

India had entered the final day in fourth place, but their position was not confirmed as South Korea remained within striking distance. The Korean contingent needed two more gold medals to draw level with India’s tally of 30, with their superior silver count potentially pushing them ahead.

Double gold medallists Mona Agarwal and Nishad Kumar will be India's flag-bearers at the closing ceremony of the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Saturday, following outstanding campaigns in shooting and para-athletics.

Both athletes won two gold medals each at the continental event, with Mona producing a record-breaking performance in shooting and Nishad excelling in the high jump and long jump.

Their selection as flag-bearers recognises their achievements as India prepare to bring the Games to a close.