An elite field featuring Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games champions and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games medallists will be in action when the Para archery competition gets underway at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games from 19 to 24 October.
A total of 99 Para archers (59 men, 40 women) representing 18 nations will battle for 15 gold medals over six days of competition at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square.
China topped the Para archery medals table at the last Asian Para Games in Hangzhou with six gold medals before also finishing on top at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games with three gold. Once again, the East Asian nation will be aiming for the number one position, while India, Iran and hosts Japan are expected to be among the leading medal contenders.
Here are some of the Para archers to watch across the different categories in Aichi-Nagoya.
Zhang Tianxin (CHN, W1 men)
Two-time Paralympic mixed team champion Zhang Tianxin will be among the favourites in the W1 men’s event. The reigning Asian Para Games W1 men’s individual and doubles champion grabbed the spotlight at the Gwangju 2025 World Archery Para Championships, claiming a golden treble with victories in the W1 individual, doubles and mixed team events. With both his compatriots Li Pan and Wang Liya in China’s line-up, Tianxin would be hoping to repeat Gwangju 2025 results in Nagoya.
Gholamreza Rahimi (IRN, Recurve men)
A veteran of the sport, Gholamreza Rahimi will return to the Asian Para Games looking to defend his individual and doubles titles following his double success at Hangzhou 2022.
The Rio 2016 Paralympic champion, however, is expected to face a strong challenge from an elite field that includes reigning Paralympic champion Harvinder Singh and local star Tomohiro Ueyama, the silver medallist at Hangzhou 2022.
Sheetal Devi (IND, Compound women)
Ever since the 19-year-old armless archer captured the world’s imagination with two gold medals at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games, Sheetal Devi has continued to add to her impressive list of achievements.
At Paris 2024, she claimed the mixed team bronze medal alongside seasoned campaigner Rakesh Kumar, with whom she had won gold in Hangzhou. She went on to claim her first individual World Archery Para Championships title in Gwangju and will be eager to defend her individual and mixed team Asian Para Games titles in Nagoya.
An exciting contest could also be on the cards between Devi and her promising junior teammate Payal Nag, the world’s first female quadruple amputee archer.
Toman Kumar (IND, Compound men)
Toman Kumar grabbed the spotlight by claiming his first World Archery Para Championships title in Gwangju in 2025, a victory that also propelled him to world number one.
He has continued his impressive form in 2026, already claiming individual and team gold medals at the Hyundai World Archery Para Series.
In the absence of Paris 2024 mixed team bronze medallist Rakesh Kumar and Hangzhou 2022 champion Alisina Manshaezadeh, Toman will be the para archer to beat in the compound men’s category.
Kim Ok-geum (KOR, W1 women)
At 66, Kim Ok-geum continues to impress in Para archery with her determination, experience and precision. The Hangzhou 2022 silver medallist claimed the W1 women’s title at the Bangkok 2026 Hyundai World Archery Para Series and will once again be among the favourites in Nagoya.
With defending champion Chen Minyi absent from the line-up, Kim will bring her wealth of experience against a younger field as she looks to go one step better and claim the Asian Para Games gold.
