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One Asia, one last celebration: Aichi-Nagoya bids farewell
In Short
The 90-minute closing ceremony featured vibrant displays of Japanese culture and hospitality, with athletes from 45 Asian countries joining the celebrations.
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One Asia, one last celebration: Aichi-Nagoya bids farewell
Nagoya: A dazzling blend of light, music and Japanese culture brought the curtains down on the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium on Sunday, ending more than two weeks of intense competition that produced over 350 records, including more than 50 world records.
The 90-minute closing ceremony featured vibrant displays of Japanese culture and hospitality, with athletes from 45 Asian countries joining the celebrations. The Games, however, had been preceded by criticism over logistical troubles and alleged mismanagement in the build-up.
India finished fourth on the medal table with 85 medals — 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze — 21 fewer than its tally at Hangzhou. China topped the table for a record 12th consecutive edition with 341 medals, including 169 gold, 89 silver and 83 bronze. Host Japan finished second with 269 medals — 83 gold, 95 silver and 91 bronze — while South Korea was third with 39 gold, 43 silver and 68 bronze.
Trap shooter Neeru Dhanda, who won two gold medals and a silver, led the Indian contingent. Around 30 Indian athletes and officials, dressed in white and blue kits, joined the parade waving the Tricolour. Olympic Council of Asia president Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani officially declared the Games closed in the presence of Japan’s Crown Prince and Crown Princess Akishino. “We close these Games, but we raise the bar for Asian sport,” he said. “The flame may be extinguished, but the hopes it has ignited will continue to burn brightly across our continent.”
He highlighted the remarkable comebacks, last-second victories, near-misses, emerging teenage stars and seasoned champions, along with athletes overcoming adversity and injury and displays of sportsmanship. He said more than 350 records, including over 50 world records, had been broken — a record for the Asian Games.
The ceremony’s “One Asia” theme was reflected in a hexagonal central stage decorated with lanterns. Bon-odori dance and Nagoya’s popular “Matsuken Samba II” showcased Japanese culture, followed by laser displays, music and performances by artists from the Nagoya School of Music and Dance.
