Asian Games 2026 Closing Ceremony: Double gold medallist Neeru Dhanda named as India's woman flag-bearer

India's shooting star Neeru Dhanda has been named the country's women's flag-bearer for the closing ceremony of the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, bringing another significant moment to an already memorable campaign for the trap shooter. The closing ceremony will be held on Sunday, 4 October, at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.

Dhanda's selection comes after she collected three medals during the Games, including two gold medals and a silver. She opened her medal-winning campaign by securing silver in the women's team trap event before producing a historic performance in the individual competition.

Dhanda won gold in the women's individual trap event, becoming the first Indian woman to win an Asian Games gold medal in the discipline. She followed that achievement with another gold medal in the trap mixed team event, where she partnered Kynan Chenai.

The Indian pair finished the mixed team final with a score of 34, winning the gold medal ahead of Qatar, which scored 32, while China took bronze with 23. The Indian duo also established a new Asian Games record in the final.

Dhanda's three-medal haul made her one of India's historic medal-winning shooters at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. Her individual gold was particularly significant as it marked India's first Asian Games gold in women's trap shooting.

Dhanda to fly back to Japan

After completing her shooting commitments in Japan, Dhanda returned to India. However, her Asian Games campaign will require one more trip to Nagoya. She is scheduled to fly back to Japan on Saturday morning ahead of Sunday's closing ceremony, where she will carry the Indian flag.

India's deputy Chef de Mission Anjali Bhagwat confirmed Dhanda's selection while speaking to reporters in Japan on Friday. Bhagwat said Dhanda would return to Nagoya to serve as the women's flag-bearer and added that the decision on India's male flag-bearer would be taken later.

"She is returning to Nagoya tomorrow morning to be the woman flag bearer. The decision on the male flag bearer will be taken tomorrow," Bhagwat, who attended the India vs China women’s hockey final on Friday, told reporters in Japan.

The closing ceremony will bring the 2026 Asian Games to an end after more than two weeks of competition across Aichi and Nagoya. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 6pm local time on Sunday at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.

For Dhanda, the ceremony will provide a final appearance at the Games after a campaign in which she secured medals in all three trap events she contested.

Her return to Nagoya means she will finish her Asian Games journey carrying India's flag after contributing two gold medals and one silver to the country's medal tally.