TEHRAN – Iranian athletes took part at fifth edition of the Asian Para Games opening ceremony parade on Sunday.
Rouhollah Rostami carried Iran’s flag in the ceremony held at the Nagoya City Mizuho Athletic Stadium in Japan.
Rouhollah Rostami led his teammates, followed by athletes who—having dedicated months to rigorous training and hard work—carry the hopes of Iran in this edition of the Games.
Hundreds of athletes and officials from across the region took part in the Parade of Nations. 
The Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games feature 492 medal events across 18 Para sports, including wheelchair rugby, which is making its Asian Para Games return after a 12-year absence. The Asian Para Games flame was carried by Paralympic icons, including Paralympic swimming champion Junichi Kawai, Commissioner of the Japan Sports Agency, and Paris 2024 wheelchair rugby gold medallist Yukinobu Ike, before the final three torchbearers lit the cauldron made using clay from Aichi’s three pottery regions.
The Closing Ceremony will be held on 24 October.