Opening ceremony of V Asian Para Games held in Nagoya, Japan

The opening ceremony of the V Asian Para Games was held on October 18 in Nagoya, Japan. The games, held every four years, bring together nearly 4,000 athletes from 45 countries. Kazakhstan will be represented by 150 athletes competing in 12 sports. The ceremony took place at the Mizuho athletics stadium in Nagoya, where national teams paraded, including the Kazakh delegation.

The Kazakh state flag was carried by Dastan Mukashbekov, a bronze medallist at the XVII Summer Paralympics in Paris and champion of the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Para Games, and Ayala Mereke, a multiple world champion medallist in para judo. Mukashbekov described carrying the flag at such a major international event as a great honour.

The ceremony’s main creative concept was WABI, short for “We Are Beautiful Individuals.” Kazakhstan has taken part in the Asian Para Games since their inception, and its team at the IV Games in Hangzhou numbered 131 athletes. The games run until October 24 in Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya. Kazakh viewers can watch the competitions on the Qazsport channel.