Kabaddi captain Pawan Sehrawat will carry the Indian tricolour at the Asian Games 2026 opening ceremony in Nagoya as co-flag-bearer alongside double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, after being handed the honour on short notice following a last-minute change. Tajinderpal Singh Toor, who had originally been confirmed as flag-bearer, was ruled out due to technical issues, paving the way for Sehrawat's elevation.

A Sleepless Night, Full of Pride

Sehrawat revealed he spent the entire night awake after learning of the appointment, yet arrived at the venue energised and ready. 'I have been awake for the whole night. But I still have the energy to carry my nation's flag in my hands. It is a proud situation for me,' he said in a video released by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

He added that he had gone to the gym early in the morning before heading to the opening ceremony venue, underscoring the physical and emotional charge of the moment. The 2022 Asian Games gold-medal-winning kabaddi captain treated the late call not as a disruption but as an honour too significant to let fatigue diminish.

Who He Told First

In a candid aside, Sehrawat said he kept the news private overnight, sharing it only with his elder brother Ankur via a text message after receiving a call from him late at night. 'I told everyone in the morning. I did not tell anyone, not even my close ones,' he noted, capturing the intimacy of the moment before it became public.

Carrying the Flag with Manu Bhaker

Sehrawat expressed particular enthusiasm about sharing the flag-bearer stage with Manu Bhaker, who won two medals at the Paris Olympics. He described her as a deeply motivating presence within the Indian contingent. 'It is a good moment for me to go with such a big athlete. When I met her for the first time, she gave a very motivating speech. She came to meet the entire Indian team. Today will be our second meeting,' he said.

Notably, Bhaker had addressed the entire Indian squad earlier, leaving a strong impression on athletes across disciplines — a gesture that reinforced her stature beyond shooting circles.

What It Means for Indian Sport

The pairing of a kabaddi captain and a double Olympic medallist as joint flag-bearers is a deliberate statement of India's sporting breadth. Sehrawat has been one of the dominant forces in Asian kabaddi for years, and his inclusion alongside an Olympic star signals the IOA's recognition of indigenous and international sporting excellence in equal measure. India enters the Asian Games 2026 with high medal expectations across multiple disciplines, and the opening ceremony in Nagoya marks the formal start of that campaign.