A dazzling goodbye as Nagoya brings the Asian Games to a close

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 here 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.

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, its best haul at an overseas Asian Games. Host 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 the 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 declared the Aichi-Nagoya 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.

“We have witnessed remarkable comebacks, last-second victories and dramatic near-misses. We have celebrated the rise of new teenage superstars and seasoned champions as they added to their impressive legacies.

“We have seen athletes battle through adversity and injury to claim victory and opponents demonstrate incredible sportsmanship and respect.”

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 emotions and a 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.

At the heart of the performance is the ‘bon-odori’ dance, which originated in Japan and is now popular also in other Asian countries, transcending generations and nationalities. This was showcased in ‘Matsuken Samba II’, a song that is packed with Nagoya’s unique charm and cherished by the Japanese people.

The arrival of the dignitaries was followed by a dazzling laser light show, with the performance of artists from the Nagoya School of Music and Dance, wearing costumes adorned with cherry blossoms.

This was followed by the athletes' parade. Only the flag bearers, including India’s Neeru Dhanda, marched in. The contingent of the 45 countries then entered the arena to the accompaniment of light and music.

It was followed by the visuals of some memorable performances and contests during the Games.

The torch and the OCA flag from the first Asian Games and the current OCA flag were passed on to Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani by the OCA president.

Bashim, Qatar’s most accomplished athlete, took the centre stage. He took the OCA flag, and the giant screen showed him competing in the high jump event and him watching from the stands in a digital imagery. He was also shown riding a horse and lighting the cauldron.

Qatar’s equestrian rider Jassim Al Kuwari then entered the stadium on a horse and took over the OCA flag from Bashim. He rode the horse for a couple of rounds of the central platform being going out.   

The creative concept, ‘Al Makan Makanukum/This Place Is Yours’, reflected the idea of preparing a place for a guest before their arrival. In the Handover story, the OCA Flag becomes Doha 2030’s first guest, arriving four years before the Games.