Nishad Kumar, Mona Agarwal named India's flag bearers for Asian Para Games closing ceremony

Double gold medallists Nishad Kumar and Mona Agarwal have been named India's flag bearers for the closing ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games, scheduled for Saturday, October 24.

The duo have been among India's standout performers in Japan, winning two gold medals each through record-breaking performances in para-athletics and para shooting.

Nishad won the men's long jump T47 gold with an effort of 7.11m in his first international competition in the discipline. Primarily a high jumper, he followed it up with gold in the men's high jump T47, clearing 2.04m to set a new Asian Para Games record, bettering the previous mark of 2.01m.

The 27-year-old is a two-time Paralympic silver medallist, having finished second in the high jump T47 at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. He also won the world title in 2025, setting an Asian record of 2.14m.

Mona, meanwhile, claimed both her gold medals in shooting. She opened India's campaign with victory in the women's 10m air rifle standing SH1, scoring 250.0 to set a Games record and finish ahead of compatriot Avani Lekhara.

The 38-year-old then produced a world-record score of 357.5 in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 final on Friday. She surpassed the previous world record of 356, set by Sweden's Anna Benson in July 2026, and also bettered the Asian record.

India had crossed the 100-medal mark by Friday and remained fourth in the standings, with para-athletics contributing a substantial share of the country's haul.

The closing ceremony on October 24 will bring the Games, which began on October 18, to an end. India had been represented at the opening ceremony by para-badminton player Pramod Bhagat and sprinter Simran Sharma.