Sayonara, Nagoya: Asian Games 2026 come to a close with a dazzling light and musical show; come 2030, ‘aap Qatar mein hain’

A dazzling light and musical show, sprinkled with a vibrant display of Japan’s culture and hospitality, brought the curtains down on the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games as the host country pulled off a spectacular closing ceremony on Sunday. After more than two weeks of intense competition, which had produced more than 350 records, including at least 50 world records, the athletes of the 45 countries of Asia joined the festive atmosphere at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium to mark the end of the Games marred by logistical troubles and mismanagement in the build-up. The closing ceremony lasted 90 minutes.

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India finished at the fourth place on the medal table with 85 medals (21 gold, 27 silver, 37 bronze), 21 less than the last edition in Hangzhou, China. China topped the table for the 12th consecutive edition, finishing with 169 gold, 89 silver and 83 bronze for a total of 341 medals, their best haul at an overseas Asian Games. Hosts Japan ended second with 269 medals (83 gold, 95 silver and 91 bronze), followed by South Korea with 39 gold, 43 silver and 68 bronze.

Olympic Council of Asia President Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani declared the Games closed in the presence of Crown Prince and Crown Princess Akishino. The OCA flag was later handed over to a representative of the organising committee of the 2030 Asian Games in Qatar. The section relating to OCA flag handover to Doha featured Qatar’s Olympic and world champion Mutaz Bashim.

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.

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.

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 AichiNagoya 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.

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He said the Asian Games in Japan will shape the next generation of Asian sport.

“From the first competition to the very last, Asia’s finest athletes captivated us with their performances. Over 350 records have been broken, including more than 50 world records. This is a record for our Asian Games.”

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.

At the opening ceremony on September 19, the diverse athletes from various Asian countries and regions were represented by multiple layers of rainbow-coloured hearts. For the closing ceremony, the empty space in the centre of the heart was beautifully filled with the emotions and sense of unity. The idea was to unite the athletes to serve as a catalyst for Asian nations to continue working together in a peaceful environment for many years to come.