The Indian contingent brought a touch of the country’s rich heritage to the Opening Ceremony of the Para Asian Games here on Sunday, with athletes donning ceremonial blazers featuring motifs inspired by 5000 years of civilisation.
More than 100 Indian athletes took part in the ceremony, led by sprinter Simran Sharma and shuttler Pramod Bhagat, who carried the national flag as the contingent marched in with the Tricolour fluttering proudly.
Satyanarayana
is fielding a 281-member contingent, comprising 168 athletes competing across 11 disciplines.
India enjoyed its most successful Asian Para Games campaign in Hangzhou in 2023, finishing fifth in the medal standings with a record haul of 111 medals (29 gold, 31 silver and 51 bronze), and para athletics coach Satyanarayana believes contingent can cross the 100-medal mark once again. “We are targeting around 100 medals for India, and we believe our athletes have the ability and determination to achieve this. Para athletics will be a crucial part of our medal campaign. We are expecting to win six medals in athletics on Monday, including two to three gold medals,” he said.