India’s closing ceremony in Nagoya was less a farewell than a banner‑raising; 168 para‑athletes walked off the field with 114 medals, a new national record.
Nishad Kumar and Mona Agarwal, both double‑gold winners, lit the torch as flag‑bearers, symbolising a campaign that saw athletes smash 20 world records across 18 sports. Para athletics alone delivered 65 medals, 22 of them gold, cementing India’s dominance in track and field.
The medal table still saw China at the top with 435 medals, 207 golds, while Japan fell to second with 186 medals. Uzbekistan rounded out the top three with 145 medals. India’s 30 golds kept it firmly in fourth place, a placement that dwarfs the 108‑medal haul from Hangzhou in 2022.
President Droupadi Murmu’s post on X praised the athletes’ “hard work, perseverance and self‑belief”, noting that the record haul “will inspire young people to dream big”. The Asian Paralympic Committee’s Majid Rashed highlighted the Games as a celebration of para sport’s growing strength across Asia.
With Doha set to host the 2030 edition, India’s performance here signals a new era of competitiveness. The next challenge? Turning this summer’s success into a podium‑filled debut on the world stage at the 2026 Asian Games and beyond.