Photo report: Opening of the V Asian Para Games "Aichi-Nagoya 2026"
In Nagoya, Japan, the opening ceremony of the V Asian Para Games took place on Sunday. Taekwondo fighter Asadbek Toshtemirov and cyclist Marjona Pardaboeva became the flag bearers of the National Team of Uzbekistan. About 150 representatives of the country will compete in 11 sports. Photo report by Khusniddin Ato and Maria Malinovskaya.
Photo report: Opening of the V Asian Para Games "Aichi-Nagoya 2026"
The 5th Asian Para Games "Aichi-Nagoya 2026" kicked off on Sunday with a vibrant ceremony at Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya.
The opening began with traditional performances that highlighted the cultural heritage of Aichi Prefecture and Japan. Delegations from the participating countries entered the stadium through a tree-shaped installation. The opening of the games was declared by Emperor Naruhito of Japan. The finale featured a torch relay, culminating in the lighting of the flame in a cauldron made from clay sourced from Aichi's three pottery centers.
The games' program includes competitions in 18 sports, with 492 sets of medals to be awarded. The closing ceremony will take place on October 24.
Uzbekistan is represented at the competition by more than 150 athletes in 11 sports. For the first time in the history of the games, the country's para-athletes will compete in wheelchair fencing, boccia, and para archery.
The flag bearers for the Uzbekistan national team were Paralympic taekwondo champion Asadbek Toshtemirov and two-time world champion in road para-cycling Marjona Pardaboeva. Leaders of the National Olympic and Paralympic Committees of Uzbekistan were also present at the ceremony.