Asian Games Opening Ceremony live: Shooter Manu Bhaker and kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat will lead the Indian contingent out at the athletes' parade. (Photo: @WeAreTeamIndia/X)The 20th Asian Games will officially open in Nagoya shortly with the Opening Ceremony, where Manu Bhaker and Pawan Sehrawat will lead the Indian contingent out at the athletes’ parade. The organisers of the Aichi-Nagoya Games are already on the defensive after a string of operational gaffes and logistical problems in the lead-up to the Games.India too were forced into making a last-minute change with Sehrawat replacing Tajinderpal Singh Toor as the male flagbearer because the shot putter had not received his official kit which prevented him from attending the gala event in Nagoya.Story continues below this adThe day started for India with a heartbreaking loss for Quimcy D’Souza, who was competing in the semi-finals of the women’s teqball event, where a win would have assured India its first medal. But despite the loss, Quimcy D’Souza will compete for the bronze medal tomorrow.Scroll down for our live blog of the first day of the Asian Games and the opening ceremonyLive UpdatesSep 19, 2026 02:30 PM ISTAsian Games 2026 Opening Ceremony Live: Athletes heading to the stadiumAn update from shuttler HS Prannoy who is already making his way towards the stadium along with a bunch of other Indian athletesReady for the 2026 Asian games Opening Ceremony pic.twitter.com/JuHPM0HMaE— PRANNOY HS (@PRANNOYHSPRI) September 19, 2026https://platform.x.com/widgets.jsSep 19, 2026 02:24 PM ISTAsian Games 2026 Opening Ceremony Live: What happened to ToorIndia had to make an adjustment to their combination of flagbearers hours before the Opening Ceremony. Why?According to a report on news agency Press Trust of India, Toor had to be replaced because the shot-putter had not yet received his official kit, which will prevent him from attending the gala event.“I am told that my kit will reach at 3pm at the (Nagoya) airport. Reaching the opening ceremony venue after collecting my kit from airport on time will be very difficult. So, I have told IOA (Indian Olympic Association) that I am not coming for opening ceremony,” Toor told PTI. “My kit is lying in India. Nobody in the athletics team has got their kits so far,” he revealed.Sep 19, 2026 02:23 PM ISTAsian Games 2026 Opening Ceremony Live: Update from Mihir VasavdaMihir Vasavda, who is The Indian Express' man on the ground in Japan to cover the Asian Games, has been at the venue for the opening ceremony for the better part of the past three hours. He sent us this status report from the ground earlier in the day.Less than three hours for the opening ceremony and the stands are gradually beginning to fill up. It’s largely been an overcast, but very humid, day. The evenings tend to get cooler. It’s expected that the ceremony, to be directed by Japanese director Tsutsumi Yukihiko, will showcase Japanese traditions, Aichi’s industry and future tech.Sep 19, 2026 02:20 PM ISTNamaste!Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the first day (at least officially) of the Asian Games where in a few minutes the Indian contingent will march out in the athletes' parade. The contingent will be led by the two flagbearers, Manu Bhaker and Pawan Sehrawat.Meet Quimcy Dsouza: The Teqer nearing first medal for India at Asian Games 2026While her career in the sport of football didn't grow, the love for the game remained which further shaped her career as a Teqball player. (ANI Photo)With the official opening ceremony of 2026 Asian Games still a day away, A 24-year-old test engineer from sporting goods brand Decathlon is nearing a historic first medal for India in most unlikely of the sources, Teqball.Mumbai-born Quimcy Dsouza, who played football at U19 level, reached the semi-final of the women’s singles in Teqball on Friday.In her first match at the Asian Games, Qumicy produced a upset after she came from a game down to beat world no 7 and home favourite Yuina Sakamoto of Japan 2-1 (10-12, 12-11, 13-11) in 43 minutes in her first match in Group B. In the next fixture, she took down Koemyean Dy of Combodia 2-0 (12-9, 12-7) in 24 minutes.READ MORE© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Asian GamesAsian Games 2026