A fortnight of intense sporting action came to an end in Aichi-Nagoya on Sunday. Neeru Dhanda, the shooter who won three medals, including two gold, was India’s flag bearer at the closing ceremony.
A video montage of some of the best sporting moments from the 2026 Asian Games was being played in the background as athletes from all the countries participated in the athletes’ parade.
The spotlight now shifts to Doha 2030 as Qatar’s Asian Games journey begins. The next edition of the Asian Games, themed “The Games We Live For”, has now garnered attention towards the host city for 2030, Qatar.
The Qatar flag was raised to signal the handover of the baton for the next Asian Games by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, following the lowering of the Japan national flag.
The torch and flag from the inaugural Asian Games were also brought to the stadium and handed over to Qatar’s Prime Minister, bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. The ceremonial handover marks the start of the countdown for the next edition.
Officially depicting the take over, the OCA flag was handed over to Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim. Barshim is a Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion from Qatar and three-time world champion in the high jump.
Qatar’s in the recent years has been adding rewards to its name in the sports arena. One of its biggest moment was Lionel Messi lifting the FIFA World Cup trophy in 2022 with Argentina. The historic triumph completed Messi’s collection of major honours and features in the highlights alongside some of the country’s biggest sporting events.
The montage also celebrates Qatar’s record of hosting international competitions, from the AFC Asian Cup and World Championships to the achievements of high jump star Mutaz Essa Barshim.