India has announced a 166‑athlete contingent for the Asian Para Games in Aichi‑Nagoya, Japan, setting sights on a 100‑plus medal haul after a record 108 medals in Hangzhou.
The squad is split 111 male and 55 female athletes, backed by 94 officials and 15 support staff. Para‑athletics takes the lion’s share with 62 competitors, followed by 28 in para‑badminton and 16 in para‑swimming. Para‑shooting, para‑archery, and para‑table tennis round out the mix with 13, 11, and 10 athletes respectively, while blind football, powerlifting, judo and cycling complete the roster.
Sheetal Devi, the archer who clinched gold at the Tokyo Paralympics, leads the fray in archery. In badminton, Pramod Bhagat and Suhas Yathiraj have already bagged medals at the Asian Para Games, and Bhavina Patel shines in table tennis with a silver at the Rio Paralympics. These names bring a blend of world‑champion experience and fresh talent to the team.
India’s medal tally has climbed from 14 in 2010 to 33 in 2014, then 72 in 2018, before leaping to 108 in 2023. That jump from 72 to 108—crossing the 100‑medal threshold—was the most dramatic rise in the event’s history and fueled expectations for 2026.
The challenge now is a 46% drop in squad size: 166 athletes versus 309 last time. A similar 25% cut in the able‑bodied contingent at the 2026 Asian Games saw medals slip from 106 to 85. Even with fewer competitors, the team’s depth across 10 disciplines keeps the 100‑medal dream alive.
The Games kick off on Oct 18, with para‑athletics opening the ceremony. India’s next test will be the men’s 100m T12, where the country hopes to turn a strong start into a podium finish.