Five Afghan Athletes Enter Three Sports as Asian Para Games Near

Afghanistan is preparing to compete in three sports at the Asian Para Games in Japan, where five athletes will represent the country when the continental event opens on Sunday, 18 October.

The Afghan delegation is entered in para powerlifting, para taekwondo and para table tennis, according to the General Directorate of Olympic, Physical Education and Sports. The directorate announced on 10 October that the five athletes had departed for Japan after meeting its head, Ahmadullah Wasiq.

The fifth Asian Para Games run from 18 to 24 October in Aichi-Nagoya, with 18 sports on the programme. They follow the main Asian Games, held in the same Japanese host region earlier this autumn, but are a separate competition for athletes with disabilities.

The Afghan sports directorate’s published departure notice did not identify the five competitors or specify their classifications, weight divisions or event draws. Those details are particularly important in para sport: knowing that a country has entered a discipline is not enough to establish which athletes it will face or when.

The level of competition is clear in para taekwondo. In a 14 October preview, the Asian Paralympic Committee identified Paris 2024 champion Asadbek Toshtemirov of Uzbekistan and other established international medallists among the contenders. It did not establish any particular Afghan athlete’s opponent.

Afghanistan’s participation is confirmed; individual matchups, start times and medal prospects should await verified entries and competition schedules rather than speculation.

Sources: GDPES (10 October); Asian Paralympic Committee (14 October); Hong Kong Paralympic Committee.