A 90-minute closing ceremony at Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Japan marked the end of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Sunday
India finished fourth on the medal table with 85 medals, including 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze
Around 30 Indian athletes and officials, led by trap shooter Neeru Dhanda, joined the Athletes Parade with the tricolour
The Olympic Council of Asia handed over the flag to Doha, setting the stage for the 2030 Asian Games in Qatar
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games came to an end on Sunday, October 4th, after Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, the president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), officially declared it closed.
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games concluded in a glittering ceremony, which lasted for 90 minutes, celebrating Japanese culture, record-breaking performances, and the heartbeat of the event - athletes. Thousands of athletes, officials and spectators gathered for the finale.
Apart from the glittering closing ceremony, the whole event attracted unwanted attention for the logistical issues athletes when the games started.
Many athletes were not given accommodation, while others complained about the continuously leaking spaces.
Despite the complaints, OCA President Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani said the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games have raised the bar for Asian sport.
"I now declare the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games officially closed," Al Thani said.
"Tonight, as we lower the flag on Aichi-Nagoya 2026, we close these Games, but we raise the bar for Asian sport. The flame may be extinguished, but the hopes it has ignited will continue to burn brightly across our continent," he said.
The ceremony accelerated when the Japanese flag was raised, and the national anthem played, after which a cultural performance entitled "Hearts Beating as One with Athletes" took place.
Cultural Showcase
At the heart of the performance was the 'bon-odori' dance, which originated in Japan and is now popular also in other Asian countries, transcending generations and nationalities.
This was showcased in 'Matsuken Samba II', a song that is packed with Nagoya's unique charm and cherished by the Japanese people.
The arrival of the dignitaries was followed by a dazzling laser light show, with the performance of artists from the Nagoya School of music and dance, wearing costumes adorned with cherry blossoms.
To express the closing ceremony's concept of 'One Asia', a hexagonal stage was placed at the centre of the stadium, and it was the highlight of the show.
It was adorned with lanterns, a quintessential symbol of Japanese summer, during the grand finale.
This was followed by the athletes' parade.
Celebration Of Athletes
Athletes coming from all over the continent then took part in the parade of the athletes, giving a final bow after having experienced the great pressures, heartbreaks and successes of the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
The march acted as a strong symbol in that although they had arrived as aggressive competitors, they exited together, united by a common spirit of sportsmanship and Asian solidarity.
The evening then gave way to the "Gratitude and Emotion Celebration Heart" section, which included a highlight reel of the most memorable moments from the 2026 Games and acted as a sincere tribute to the athletes, the volunteers, and the organisers who had worked hard behind the scenes.
There was also a short video montage spotlighting various standout moments. Thailand's sprint sensation Puripol Boonson was crowned men's MVP of the meet, while 13-year-old Chinese phenom Yu Zidi was the women's MVP.
China topped the overall medal tally, with more than double the number of gold medals of second-placed Japan.
Neeru Dhanda Carried Indian Flag
Led by trap shooter Neeru Dhanda, who had won two gold and one silver in the Games, the Indians also joined the festive atmosphere.
Around 30 Indian athletes and officials, wearing white and blue kits, took part in the Athletes Parade, waving the tricolour. Only the flag bearers, including India's Neeru Dhanda, marched in.
India finished fourth on the medal table with 85 medals — 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze — 21 fewer than in the last edition in Hangzhou, China.
Handover To Doha
The OCA flag handover to Doha featured Qatar's Olympic and world champion Mutaz Bashim. Al Thani declared the Games closed before the OCA flag is handed to a representative of the organising committee of the 2030 Asian Games in Qatar.
As per tradition, the OCA chief called upon the youth of Asia to carry this spirit forward and meet again in four years' time for the 21st Asian Games in Doha in 2030.
The torch and the OCA flag from the first Asian Games and the current OCA flag were passed on to Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani by the OCA president.
Bashim, Qatar's most accomplished athlete, took the centre stage. He took the OCA flag, and the giant screen showed him competing in the high jump and him watching from the stands in digital imagery. He was also shown riding a horse and lighting the cauldron.
Qatar's equestrian rider Jassim Al Kuwari then entered the stadium on a horse and took over the OCA flag from Bashim.
He rode the horse for a couple of rounds of the central platform before going out. The creative concept, 'Al Makan Makanukum/This Place Is Yours', reflected the idea of preparing a place for a guest before their arrival.
In the Handover story, the OCA Flag becomes Doha 2030's first guest, arriving four years before the Games.
