Nagoya [Japan], September 19 : Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker remembered her late coach Jaspal Rana as she reflected on the emotional significance of leading the Indian contingent as flagbearer at the opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday.
The 24-year-old shooter, who shared the flag-bearing honour with Kabaddi star Pawan Sehrawat at the ceremony at Paloma Mizuho Stadium, spoke about Rana’s importance in her career and said his absence made the occasion particularly emotional.
“I miss Jaspal sir, a lot. He was special to me; it's a very big emotional moment for me,” Bhaker told ANI after the ceremony.
Rana, a Dronacharya Award-winning coach and recipient of the Arjuna Award and Padma Shri, passed away in New Delhi on June 13 after battling health complications. He was undergoing treatment at a hospital in South Delhi.
Widely regarded as one of India’s most successful shooters, Rana enjoyed an illustrious career spanning more than three decades. He won 15 medals, including nine gold, across four editions of the Commonwealth Games, making him India’s most successful athlete at the event.
Beyond his achievements as a shooter, Rana made a significant contribution to Indian shooting as a coach, guiding junior athletes and serving as a high-performance trainer. He had been India’s high-performance coach for the 25m pistol event since February 2025.
Rana was Bhaker’s long-time coach and played an important role in her development as an international shooter. Bhaker went on to win two bronze medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics, becoming the first athlete from independent India to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympic Games.
The flag-bearing honour at the Asian Games opening ceremony came as Bhaker prepared to begin another major international campaign, this time representing India at the continental multi-sport event in Japan.
Bhaker will compete in the women’s 10m air pistol, women’s 25m pistol and 10m air pistol mixed team events. Her presence at the opening ceremony placed one of India’s most prominent shooting stars at the head of the contingent as the Games formally got underway.
The ceremony at Paloma Mizuho Stadium marked the official opening of the 20th Asian Games, which will run from September 19 to October 4. India is represented by a 501-athlete contingent competing across 36 sports.
Pawan Sehrawat, who replaced shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor as the male flagbearer due to technical issues, joined Bhaker in leading the Indian contingent. Sehrawat was part of India’s gold-medal-winning men’s kabaddi team at the previous Asian Games and will now aim to help the country defend its title.
India has traditionally enjoyed considerable success in men’s kabaddi at the Asian Games, winning gold in eight of the nine editions in which the event has been held. The exception came at the 2018 Games, where India finished with bronze. At Hangzhou 2023, India defeated Iran 33-29 in the final to reclaim the title.
India will look to build on its performance at Hangzhou, where it finished fourth in the medal standings with 106 medals, including 28 gold, 38 silver and 40 bronze.
The Indian contingent features five individual Olympic medallists, although defending javelin throw champion Neeraj Chopra has withdrawn due to an ankle injury. PV Sindhu will spearhead the badminton campaign, while Mirabai Chanu will lead the weightlifting challenge. Lovlina Borgohain will compete in boxing, and Aman Sehrawat will represent India in wrestling.
India’s boxers arrive in Japan after securing 10 medals, including seven gold, at the Commonwealth Games. Athletics is also expected to be a major contributor, with more than 70 track and field athletes set to compete. Gulveer Singh, Tejaswin Shankar and Olympian Sarvesh Kushare are among the athletes to watch.
India will also seek to defend its men’s and women’s titles in cricket and kabaddi, along with the men’s hockey crown. Shreyas Iyer will lead the men’s cricket team in the T20 competition, with teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi included in the squad. The women’s team will be led by T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
The men’s and women’s hockey tournaments will also carry added significance, with both serving as qualification events for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The winners will secure direct qualification for the Games, while India will have further opportunities to earn quota places in archery, sailing, squash, surfing and tennis.
In squash, young Anahat Singh will return after contributing to India’s women’s team bronze at Hangzhou 2023. She also won a mixed doubles bronze alongside Abhay Singh and will be among the players expected to feature prominently in the campaign.