Manu Bhaker and Tajinderpal Singh Toor confirmed as India's flag-bearers at Asian Games opening ceremony

Manu Bhaker and Tajinderpal Singh Toor will be India's flag-bearers at the Asian Games opening ceremony.

Updated on: Sep 18, 2026, 11:54:16 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Shooter Manu Bhaker and shot-putter Tajinder Pal Singh Toor will be India's flag-bearers at the Asian Games 2026 opening ceremony on September 19, it was confirmed on Friday. India's Chef de Mission Sahdev Yadav announced Bhaker's selection, while the Athletics Federation of India confirmed Toor's development.

Manu Bhaker will be India's flag-bearer at Asian Games opening ceremony. (HT_PRINT)

Speaking of Bhaker, she made history at the 2024 Paris Olympics by becoming the first athlete from independent India to win two medals in a single edition of the Games. On the other hand, Toor has won gold medals at the Asian Games in the past two editions.

Also Read: India vs Japan Asian Games Women LIVE: Check all live updates here

Both Bhaker and Toor are among the strongest medal prospects for India at the 2026 Asian Games, which officially get underway on September 19 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Earlier, Neeraj Chopra pulled out of the Asian Games after picking up an injury, and India received a body blow ahead of the premier continental competition.

India's Asian Games campaign begins

India's campaign at the Asian Games has gotten off to a wonderful start as Quimcy Dsouza is just one more win away from securing India's first-ever medal in teqball.

The 24-year-old topped Group B in the women’s singles competition, earning a direct passage into the semifinals as teqball made its debut at the Asian Games.

Dsouza had to dig deep in her opening encounter against Japan’s Yuina Sakamoto. She was considerably more comfortable in her second group match, defeating Koemyean Dy. The result secured top spot in the group and, with it, a quarterfinal bye.

Dsouza will now return to action on Saturday with a place on the podium within reach. She will take on Indonesia’s Sumaya in the semifinals, knowing victory would guarantee India a historic medal in the sport.

Even a semifinal defeat will leave Dsouza with another opportunity to finish on the podium. She would then play the loser of the other last-four clash between Myanmar’s Wai Khin Hin and Lebanon’s Kamar Dandal in Sunday’s bronze medal match.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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