Indian canoe sprint athletes faced a challenging day at the Asian Games in Nagoya, with all four entries failing to secure medals across various events, including men's canoe double, men's kayak four, women's kayak double, and women's canoe single.
The Indian women's hockey team secured their spot in the Asian Games semifinals by defeating Singapore 7-0 in their final Pool B match. Sunelita Toppo scored two goals, leading India to top their pool with a perfect record.
Ishan Kishan's explosive unbeaten 80 and Jasprit Bumrah's two wicket burst were instrumental in guiding India to a 124-run win over Sri Lanka in the Asian Games men's cricket semifinal on Thursday.
Jay Meena's historic run ended with a bronze, but he leaves Nagoya having achieved something no Indian soft tennis player had managed before.
Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Parinaaz Dhaliwal overcame a challenging start to secure India's first-ever bronze medal in the Asian Games skeet mixed team event. Their remarkable comeback, fueled by mutual support and a fighting spirit, culminated in a significant achievement for Indian shooting, adding to their individual medal tallies at the Games.
Disquiet has emerged within India's rowing camp at the Asian Games as some players claim they have been moved from their original events, with reserves taking their places. This has caused significant distress among the affected athletes just as competitions are set to begin.
India's equestrian team experienced a disappointing start at the Asian Games, finishing seventh in the eventing team dressage and being eliminated from the team jumping competition. Individual performances also saw Indian riders placed lower down the ranks.
Indian karateka Chetan Bhatt narrowly missed out on a bronze medal at the Asian Games, losing to Chinese Taipei's Meng-yu Chung by Senshu in the men's Kumite 84kg playoff after the bout ended 1-1. The Senshu rule, which awards victory to the athlete scoring the first point when a match is tied, decided the outcome.
Indian squash prodigy Anahat Singh, 18, achieved a career-defining victory by defeating world number 6 Satomi Watanabe of Japan in a thrilling five-game semi-final at the Asian Games.
Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan congratulated the Indian women's cricket team for winning the gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, praising their inspiring performance.
A national shotgun coach, involved in India's Asian Games preparations, is under scrutiny by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) for alleged conflict of interest. The complaint, filed by an unsuccessful bidder, concerns the coach reportedly seeking a contract to build a shooting range in Chennai. This probe could impact the coach's participation in the upcoming Asian Games, while the NRAI states it has no knowledge of such activities.
Jay Meena has won India's first-ever soft tennis medal at the Asian Games, securing a bronze after a hard-fought semifinal loss to Japan's Takuya Kurosaka. This achievement marks a significant milestone for Indian soft tennis.
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has dismissed concerns about organisational chaos at the Asian Games, attributing criticisms to attempts to "politicise" the event. Despite widespread issues like accommodation scarcity, lengthy check-ins, and athlete complaints, OCA officials insist challenges are normal and are being handled effectively. They also addressed a diplomatic complaint from South Korea regarding a historical figure at a welcome ceremony and defended cost-saving measures like container-style accommodation.
Indian shooters Neeru Dhanda and Kynan Chenai won the Asian Games trap mixed team gold, setting a new continental record. This victory marks a significant achievement for India's shooting campaign, with Dhanda also securing an individual gold earlier. The pair's success contributes to India's growing medal tally in shooting at the Games.
Indian athlete Gulveer Singh secured three medals at the Asian Games, attributing his success to a strict vegetarian diet of pulses, chapati, and paneer, alongside mental strength derived from his devotion to Lord Hanuman. He became only the second Indian male to win three athletics medals in a single edition of the Games, running four races in five days and now setting his sights on Olympic and World Championship qualifications.
Pakistan volleyball captain Murad Jehan expressed frustration over logistical mismanagement at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after his team was taken to the wrong venue, leaving them short on warm-up time and forcing players to change on the bus.
Sri Lankan javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage secured the Asian Games gold medal, expressing regret over Neeraj Chopra's absence due to injury.
Indian Wushu athlete Roshibina Devi secured a silver medal at the Asian Games in the women's 60kg sanda category, overcoming a pre-tournament selection controversy. This marks her third Asian Games medal, adding to her previous bronze and silver.
India's assistant coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar emphasised the importance of winning crucial moments ahead of the Asian Games gold medal cricket match against arch-rivals Pakistan. Drawing on his own experience from the 1998 Independence Cup final, Kanitkar stated that while the hype is significant, players must focus on their game and aim for a second successive Asiad gold for the country's medal tally.
India's women's skeet team, featuring Raiza Dhillon, Maheshwari Chauhan, and Parinaaz Dhaliwal, earned a bronze medal at the Asian Games with a combined score of 331, marking the nation's sixth shooting medal.
Srihari Nataraj secured a spot in the 50m backstroke final at the Asian Games, clocking 25.37 seconds. However, other Indian swimmers, including Rishabh Das, Akash Mani, Geetesh Shah, Danush Suresh, and the men's 4x200m freestyle relay team, failed to advance beyond the heats, marking a mixed day for India in the pool.
Veteran Indian squash players Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar have secured their spot in the mixed doubles quarter-finals at the Asian Games.
India's men's and women's table tennis teams both secured dominant 3-0 victories over Indonesia in their opening Group F matches at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, showcasing a strong start to their campaigns.
Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal has advanced to the men's 65kg semifinals at the Asian Games after securing two dominant victories, including a technical superiority win against Iran's Abbas Ebrahimzadehsavadkouhi. Meanwhile, three other Indian wrestlers faced early exits from the competition.
India's men's team regu in sepak takraw failed to advance to the semifinals at the Asian Games despite a 2-1 victory over the Philippines. A 3-0 win was required for qualification, but a tiebreak favoured Japan, leading to India's exit from the tournament.
If India's medal tally ultimately falls significantly short of Hangzhou, the conversation should not stop with the athletes or coaches. It should extend to a much more uncomfortable institutional question: After years of increased investment, programmes, infrastructure and policy attention, where exactly is the system failing to convert that investment into medals, champions and depth across sports? asks Jaydeep Ray.
India's men's and women's squash teams have successfully advanced to the semifinals of the Asian Games in Nagoya, securing at least a bronze medal for the nation.
Indian long-distance runner Gulveer Singh has secured a silver medal in the men's 10,000m event at the Asian Games, clocking 28:29.38 minutes. This achievement marks an upgrade from his previous bronze medal at the Asian Games and adds to his successful year, which also includes a second-place finish at the Commonwealth Games.
India added significantly to its Asian Games medal tally with strong performances across athletics, squash, and boxing. Ancy Sojan and Sarvesh Kushare secured silver medals in long jump and high jump respectively, while Parul Chaudhary and Harita Bhadra earned bronzes. Despite high hopes, Indian squash players missed out on Olympic berths, settling for silvers. Boxing saw three athletes advance to semifinals, assuring more medals, though individual badminton campaigns concluded without a medal.
India's top men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, faced a surprising early exit from the Asian Games badminton competition after losing to Thailand's Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Peeratchai Sukphun.
Indian boxer Parveen advanced to the women's 65kg quarterfinals at the Asian Games via a walkover, while Sakshi Chaudhary (51kg) and Sumit (70kg) were eliminated. Sakshi lost her pre-quarterfinal bout to Kazakhstan's Alua Balkibekova, and Sumit conceded his pre-quarterfinal due to a knee injury.
Indian swimmer Rishabh Das has qualified for the men's 100m backstroke final at the Asian Games after finishing fifth in the heats. While Das showed strong performance, other Indian swimmers faced disappointment in the 100m freestyle heats.
Frenchman Samai Reboul, coach of the Indian national surfing team, views India's Asian Games debut as a crucial step towards qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The team, comprising two men and two women, is preparing in Mahabalipuram for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where surfing makes its continental debut and offers Olympic quota places.
The Indian men's and women's hockey teams commence their Asian Games campaign in Japan, with both aiming for a gold medal to secure direct qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics. The men's team seeks to recover from a recent World Cup slump, while the women's team looks to build on their strong World Cup performance, facing significant challenges from opponents like China.
Indian boxer Sakshi Chaudhary lost her pre-quarterfinal bout in the women's 51kg category at the Asian Games to Kazakhstan's Alua Balkibekova. Separately, Sumit was forced to concede his men's 70kg pre-quarterfinal due to a knee injury, despite leading.
India's last-minute change in the 10m air pistol mixed team pairing ended with gold as Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet won the title on Friday.
Olympic Council of Asia Director General Husain Al Musallam defended Japan's decision not to have a dedicated Athletes' Village for the Aichi-Nagoya Games, citing cost and sustainability. This comes amidst criticism over accommodation chaos. Musallam confirmed that future Asian Games in Doha (2030) and Riyadh (2034) will feature dedicated villages, emphasising flexibility and legacy considerations. He also supported the increasing number of athletes, highlighting the importance of sport in current global crises.
Veteran Indian shuttler H S Prannoy discusses his likely final Asian Games appearance and his long-term Olympic aspirations for LA 2028. Doubles specialist Chirag Shetty urges the Indian men's badminton team to go for gold, reflecting on their previous silver medal and the team's strong cohesion.
The Indian men's team scripted a sensational comeback to defeat China in final, helping the country's compound archers complete a hat-trick of gold medals at the Asian Games after the mixed team and women also finished on top.
India's eFootball team, featuring Danial Patel and Chinmay Sahoo, commenced their Asian Games campaign with a walkover against Mongolia and a goalless draw against Uzbekistan in Group F matches, marking a positive start to the competition.
