A total of 168 Indian para athletes will be in action as the Asian Para Games is set to kick off officially on Sunday in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.Top Indian names like Sumit Antil (Javelin Throw), Pramod Bhagat (Para Badminton), Avani Lekhara (Para Shooting), Sheetal Devi (Para Archery), Simran Sharma (100 and 200m sprint), Bhavinaben Patel (Para Table Tennis) will be in action but the biggest challenge for the Indian contingent will be to replicate the performance from the 2023 edition.India has trimmed the contingent massively from the previous edition when 309 Indian para athletes went to Hangzhou, China, and won a total of 108 medals including 27 gold, 32 silver, and 49 bronze.It was India’s best showing at the continental showpiece that was first held in 2010 in Guangzhou, China. “The sports ministry is very strict with the selection policy this time and we saw the same during the Asian Games also. But I am confident of the contingent that is going. These are seasoned athletes and I am sure that the gold medal count is not going to drop,” Paralympic Committee of India president Devendra Jhajharia had told the media during the send-off ceremony.The contingent selection for the Asian Para Games was not without controversies with Para-Shooters and Para-Cyclists staging protests. However, the Sports Ministry stayed firm on the selection criteria and added just two names, Sachin Chamaria and Anjali Devi in Boccia, to the initial list of 166 athletes.India is not fielding any athletes in four events that yielded medals in last edition: Blind/Para Chess (7 medals), Para Canoeing (4 medals), Para Rowing (1 medal), and Para Taekwondo (1 medal).Hopes on Para Athletics and Para BadmintonPara Athletics and Para Badminton were biggest medal suppliers to the Indian medal tally in the last edition. Para Athletics single handedly drove India’s medal tally past the 100 medal mark with a total of 53 medals including 16 gold, 17 silver, and 20 bronze. Para Badminton contributed 21 medals including 4 gold, 4 silver and 13 bronze.Story continues below this adThis time also, Para Athletics and Para Badminton make up more than half of the Indian squad with 62 participants in Para Athletics and 28 participants in Para Badminton.“I am confident that most of our Para Athletics contingent will return with a medal. Last time we had won 53 medals from 123 athletes but this time, I am confident that we will cross 40 medals in Para Athletics,” Satyanarayan, Chief coach of Para Athletics, told The Indian Express.“I know there are expectations on us now. We have won so many international medals and people would expect us to win in Japan also. I am confident that I will upgrade my medals from the previous edition,” sprinter Simran Sharma, who had won two silver medals in 100m and 200m T12 events, said.Similarly, Badminton has to contribute in large numbers if the Indian contingent has to go anywhere close to the previous mark. “See, our badminton contingent was almost the same size last time. But the good thing is that the shuttlers are more experienced this time. The younger ones have played more international tournaments now,” Pramod Bhagat, gold medallist in the 2022 edition, said.Story continues below this adApart from Para Athletics and Para Badminton, eyes will be on the likes of Sheetal Devi in Para Archery, Bhavinaben Patel in Para Table Tennis, and Avani Lekhara in Para Shooting. Sheetal and Avani had won gold in their respective events while Bhavina had won bronze.There will be some young names also who will be eager to make their mark including the Para Archery sensation Payal Nag. The quadruple amputee from Odisha has been making waves at the national and international level for the past two years defeating her idol Sheetal twice and this is the first time she will participate in a multi-sporting para event.“I have only played at archery specific championships till now. This is the first-time I will feature in an event like Asian Para Games. I am very excited specially for the opening ceremony,” Payal had said before leaving for Japan.Simran Sharma and Pramond Bhagat will be India’s flag bearers at the opening ceremony as the Indian contingent will look to win more medals with a trimmed squad.