‘All my finest needs’: Neeraj Chopra backs Team India as Asian Games 2026 get underway
NEW DELHI: Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra on Saturday despatched his finest needs to the Indian contingent because the twentieth Asian Games formally bought underway in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, expressing confidence that the athletes would make the nation proud.Chopra, who will miss the continental showpiece after an ankle ligament harm ended his 2026 season, took to X to ship his message to the Indian athletes because the Games started with a vibrant opening ceremony.“All my finest needs to Team India on the Asian Games 2026! I’m certain they may all make us proud.”The Asian Games are being held from September 19 to October 4, with India competing throughout a number of disciplines and trying to construct on its file medal haul from the earlier version.
Chopra misses Games however backs Indian contingent
Two-time Asian Games gold medallist Chopra gained javelin gold on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and adopted it with silver on the Paris 2024 Olympics. His absence is a major one for India’s athletics marketing campaign after the 28-year-old suffered an ankle ligament harm throughout a coaching session.While Chopra won’t be able to defend his Asian Games title, his message got here because the Indian contingent started its marketing campaign at Aichi-Nagoya.Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and kabaddi star Pawan Sehrawat led the Indian contingent at Saturday’s opening ceremony. Bhaker, a double bronze medallist on the Paris Olympics, will compete within the ladies’s 10m air pistol, ladies’s 25m pistol and 10m air pistol combined workforce occasions.Ahead of the ceremony, Bhaker additionally mirrored on being chosen as a flag bearer.“Honestly, after I discovered yesterday, I had all these flashback reminiscences of my earlier days. And, you realize, after I began, I by no means thought that this was the place I might attain someday in my sport. So, it’s positively a really heartwarming feeling. I really feel actually proud, actually honoured, and actually, actually comfortable to be chosen because the flag bearer for my nation. I simply need to say thanks to God and thanks to everybody for all of the love and assist,” she stated.ALSO READ: How India’s Asian Games medal story has changed over two decades
India seems to construct on file Asian Games marketing campaign
The opening ceremony on the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium formally marked the beginning of the Games, with Japan’s Emperor Naruhito declaring the occasion open.The athletes’ parade featured contingents from 45 nations and the OCA Refugee Team. Sehrawat changed shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor as India’s flag bearer after Toor didn’t obtain his ceremonial equipment in time.India is trying to enhance on its best-ever Asian Games efficiency at Hangzhou in 2023, the place it gained 106 medals, together with 28 gold, 38 silver and 40 bronze.Some competitions had already begun earlier than the opening ceremony. India’s ladies’s cricket workforce reached the semifinals after defeating hosts Japan by eight wickets, whereas Quimcy D’Souza remained in competition for a teqball bronze after shedding her ladies’s singles semifinal.The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will function round 11,000 athletes competing throughout 43 sports activities for 469 gold medals, with the closing ceremony scheduled for October 4.
