India’s Asian Games 2026 campaign officially gets underway on Saturday, September 19, with the Opening Ceremony in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. However, India’s medal campaign has already begun with teqball, which is making its Asian Games debut this year.
Two-time Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and Indian kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat will lead the Indian contingent as flagbearers during the Parade of Nations at the Opening Ceremony. The ceremony will be held at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium and is scheduled to begin at 2:30pm IST.
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Shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor had initially been named among India’s flagbearers. However, he was replaced after he did not have the ceremonial kit in his luggage.
Before the Opening Ceremony, Quimcy Dsouza will represent India in the women’s singles semi-final in teqball. She is scheduled to face Indonesia’s Sumaya at the Nagoya City Higashi Sports Center at 6:30am IST.
Teqball is making its debut at the Asian Games at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, giving Dsouza an opportunity to compete for a medal in one of the Games’ newest sports.
The Indian player, ranked world No. 24, reached the semi-finals after winning both her Group A matches on Friday. Dsouza began her campaign with a 2-1 victory over Japan’s world No. 7 Yuina Sakamoto before defeating Cambodia’s DY Koemyean 2-0.
Her group-stage results secured her passage to the knockout phase, where she received a bye in the quarter-finals.
Even if Dsouza loses her semi-final, her medal hopes will remain alive. She would move into the bronze medal match scheduled for Sunday.
Dsouza has also progressed to the mixed doubles bronze medal match alongside Mohamed Anas Imran Beg, giving the Indian pair another opportunity to finish on the podium.
The Opening Ceremony later in the day will mark the ceremonial beginning of India’s wider campaign at the Asian Games. With Bhaker and Sehrawat carrying the Indian flag, the contingent will join athletes from across Asia for the Parade of Nations.
For Indian fans, September 19 therefore combines the ceremonial start of the Games with an early medal opportunity in teqball.
India’s Asian Games campaign will expand significantly from the following days as athletes compete across multiple disciplines. The country will be looking to build on its performances at previous editions while navigating a packed schedule in Aichi and Nagoya.
For Saturday, the key timings for Indian viewers are 6:30am IST for Quimcy Dsouza’s women’s singles teqball semi-final and 2:30pm onwards for the Opening Ceremony.
India’s Asian Games 2026 schedule on September 19
- Teqball: Quimcy Dsouza vs Sumaya, women’s singles semi-final — 6:30am IST
- Opening Ceremony: Parade of Nations — 2:30pm IST onwards
- India’s flagbearers: Manu Bhaker and Pawan Sehrawat
