Baranica Elangovan has won a historic bronze medal for India in the women's pole vault event at the Asian Games, marking the country's first-ever medal in the discipline. She shared the bronze with Kazakhstan's Polina Ivanova, both clearing 4.15m.
Indian surfers Sugar Shanti Gayen and Kamali Prakash finished last in their respective women's shortboard heats during surfing's debut at the Asian Games in Tahara, Japan.
Former Sports Minister Anurag Thakur has called for the inclusion of popular sports like arm wrestling and Mallakhamb in the Olympics, citing their growing global popularity. His remarks came during the opening of the 47th WAF World Armwrestling Championship in New Delhi, an event also attended by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, who pledged full government support.
Tanya Chaudhary shattered the women's hammer throw national record with a 68.35m throw at the Indian Athletics Series Final, while Avinash Sable secured an emphatic win in the men's 3000m steeplechase in his first race in over a year. Both athletes, who are part of the Asian Games team, received Rs 1 lakh prize money from the lucrative event. Chaudhary expressed her long-standing pursuit of the record and her focus on technique, while Sable aims to compete in both 3000m steeplechase and 5000m at the Asian Games after recovering from an ACL surgery.
Indian javelin thrower Sukhchain secured a bronze medal in the men's F55 event at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya. His throw of 29.94m placed him behind China's Zhou Feifei, who set a new world record, and Iran's Zaker Zafar.
Indian cricket fans travelled thousands of kilometres, paying exorbitant prices for tickets and travel, to witness the India-Pakistan men's cricket final at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a stadium back home.
For Neeraj Chopra, the inaugural edition of Neeraj Chopra Classic is more than achieving success on the field, it's giving the Indian fans a chance to watch top-class competition in person, something that will help raise the profile of the sport in the country.
Indian para-athlete Nishad Kumar, a two-time Paralympic silver medallist, is focusing on mental preparation, meditation, and a process-oriented approach to achieve his ambitious goal of winning medals in both high jump and long jump at the Los Angeles Paralympics in 2028. He recently secured two gold medals at the Asian Para Games, demonstrating his potential in both disciplines.
India's Pradeep Kumar secured a silver medal and Ayush Verma won a bronze in the men's javelin throw F53/54 event at the Asian Para Games on Tuesday. Pradeep achieved a personal best of 27.45m, while Ayush's bronze was aided by Raza points due to his higher disability classification. Iran's Erfan Bandori won gold.
Indian squash players Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh both secured silver medals at the Asian Games after losing their respective singles finals to Malaysian opponents.
India's medal tally at the Asian Para Games reached 88, with armless archer Sheetal Devi securing two gold medals. The para-athletics contingent was the largest contributor, while medals also came from swimming, badminton, and table tennis, showcasing a strong performance across multiple disciplines.
Thulasimathi Murugesan and Nitesh Kumar secured a spot in the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 final at the Asian Para Games after defeating China's Li Mingpan and Xiao Zuxian.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to interact with the Indian contingent from the recently-concluded Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Thursday. The event, taking place at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, will see the PM address the athletes, coaches, and sports officials. India secured 85 medals, finishing fourth, a lower tally than the 2023 Hangzhou edition's 106 medals.
The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has suspended the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) from December 1, 2026, due to a prolonged governance crisis. This decision, made on October 13, 2026, means Indian riders, officials, trainers, and horses cannot participate in international competitions. The suspension stems from the Delhi High Court's dissolution of EFI's executive committee in February 2026 and the subsequent delay in holding fresh elections, despite an ad hoc committee being formed. The suspension will be reviewed after new elections are held and evaluated by the FEI.
Several Indian wrestlers, including U17 World Champion Neha Sangwan, have been denied US visas for the upcoming U23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, citing age and unemployment. The Wrestling Federation of India has urged the US Embassy to reconsider, highlighting that the athletes are within the U23 age group and many are still pursuing their careers.
The inaugural KBD Run was held at the 1 Army HQ Signal Regiment complex in New Delhi on Sunday, with nearly 500 participants. The event commemorated Capt Kulbhushan Dogra, a cricketer, athletics coach, and fitness expert for the Indian cricket team. Organised by his daughter-in-law, the run celebrated fitness and community, with plans to make it an annual feature.
Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu is set to compete in the women's 53kg category at the IWF World Championships in Ningbo, China, marking her debut in this weight class. This move is strategic as her preferred 48kg/49kg categories will not feature in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. While not expected to medal in this initial outing, the event serves as a crucial step in her Olympic qualification journey. Other Indian lifters, including Gyaneshwari Yadav and Lovepreet Singh, are also participating, aiming to improve their personal bests and earn ranking points for the upcoming Games.
Thulasimathi Murugesan won three silver medals at the Asian Para Games, including a women's doubles title with Manasi Joshi, a silver in women's singles, and another silver in mixed doubles with Nitesh Kumar.
Ace Indian javelin thrower Annu Rani has successfully undergone knee surgery in Doha, Qatar, after struggling with a persistent injury for almost a year. She has expressed strong determination to make a comeback and represent India again, despite missing the recent Asian Games.
India's athletics campaign at the Asian Games saw Sawan Barwal secure an unexpected silver in the marathon with a national record, while Tajinderpal Singh Toor also claimed silver in shot put. Prachi Chaudhary added a bronze in quarter-mile, bringing India's athletics medal tally to eight. The day also saw injuries to medal contenders Jyothi Yarraji and Praveen Chithravel.
Indian para-athlete Rinku Hooda won a gold medal in the men's javelin throw F46 event at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya. Despite being deeply affected by his mother's passing in August and battling a shoulder injury, Hooda dedicated his victory to her. He aims to secure a Paralympics medal next, having previously won medals at various international championships.
Neeru Dhanda and Kynan Chenai secured a historic mixed team trap shooting gold at the Asian Games, making Dhanda the most successful Indian athlete with three medals. Dhanda, who also won individual gold and team silver, overcame illness and fatigue, while Chenai provided crucial stability, using his father's lucky gun barrel.
The Sports Ministry has granted provisional recognition to the Indian Unisports Federation (IUSF) for university sports development, relaxing affiliation conditions. This move casts doubt on the future of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), which has faced criticism and a show-cause notice for administrative lapses, including issues at the World University Games last year.
India's Rinku clinched a gold medal in the men's javelin F46 event at the Asian Para Games, leading a one-two finish for the country as compatriot Ajeet Singh secured a silver. Rinku's throw of 65.11m narrowly beat Ajeet's 65.02m.
Indian steeplechaser Avinash Sable made an emotional and triumphant return to competition, winning the men's 3000m steeplechase at the Indian Athletics Series Final. This victory marks his first race in the distance since suffering a career-threatening ACL and meniscus injury in July 2025, which led to surgery and a challenging recovery period. Sable, a Commonwealth Games silver medallist, expressed the immense struggle he faced but is now confident of winning a medal at the upcoming Asian Games.
Indian Paralympian Karamjyoti Dalal won a bronze medal in the women's discus F55 event at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya on Wednesday, achieving a personal best throw of 21.60 metres. This marks a significant achievement for the athlete who transitioned to para sports after an accident in 2008.
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games concluded with a spectacular closing ceremony featuring a dazzling light and musical show, celebrating Japan's culture and hospitality. The event saw over 350 records broken, including 50 world records, and marked the official handover to Doha for the 2030 Games. India finished fourth in the medal tally with 85 medals.
India's Bhavina Patel and Subham Wadhwa secured a bronze medal in the mixed doubles XD7 table tennis event at the Asian Para Games after losing their semifinal match on Thursday. Another Indian pair, Dattaprasad Chougule and Savita, exited in the XD17 quarterfinals.
A 24-member Indian shooting contingent, led by Olympic bronze medallists Swapnil Kusale and Sarabjot Singh, will compete at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol in Cairo starting Saturday. The squad, which recently completed a national camp, will participate in eight individual Olympic disciplines and two mixed team events, featuring a mix of experienced Olympians and promising young talent.
Indian middle and long-distance runner Ankita Dhyani achieved a personal best time of 4:06.75s in the women's 1500m race at the Stumptown Twilight event in Portland, USA, finishing second. This performance is the fastest by an Indian this season and the fourth fastest ever, highlighting her consistent improvement and strong form.
World No. 4 recurve archer Dhiraj Bommadevara has advocated for a mix of daytime and night matches in the Archery Premier League (APL) to better prepare Indian archers for diverse international competition conditions. He highlighted the importance of adapting to varying factors like wind, especially with the APL's shift to Hyderabad, and praised the league for fostering stronger relationships and learning opportunities with international archers.
India's Suraj Singh Mayanglambam secured the 11th position in the men's changquan wushu final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Swati Chaudhary secured India's first-ever medal in the W1 category of archery at the Asian Para Games, winning a silver after a hard-fought final against China's Cen Mengkan.
Indian rifle shooter Shambhavi Kshirsagar was disqualified from the 10m air rifle mixed team event at the ISSF World Championships due to an equipment regulation violation concerning apparel stiffness. This marks her second such disqualification in five months and highlights a recurring issue for Indian shooters, prompting concerns and calls for accountability from coaches and officials.
Indian swimmer Kapil Kumar clinched a silver medal in the men's 400m freestyle S10 event at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya.
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 will take on Pakistan in the table tennis men's and women's team event at the Asian Games on Monday.
Tajinderpal Singh Toor secured a silver medal in shot put at the Asian Games, marking his third consecutive medal at the event. Despite aiming for gold and a new personal best, Toor faced challenging wet conditions and minor injuries, finishing behind Iran's Mohammadreza Tayebise who set a new Games record. Toor expressed disappointment but acknowledged the significance of winning a medal for India.
The Sports Ministry conducted a review of India's Asian Games performance, scrutinising the lower-than-expected medal haul in athletics and badminton. Chaired by Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, the meeting addressed issues like injured athletes and future planning for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with a strong emphasis on federations delivering results and nurturing young talent.
Indian wrestlers secured a six-medal haul, including two golds, at the Asian Games in Nagoya, overcoming injuries and form slumps. Gold medallists Aman Sehrawat and Sujeet Kalkal, along with silver winners Nitesh Siwach and Antim Panghal, and bronze medallists Deepak Punia and Sunil Kumar, are now setting their sights on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, expressing determination to bring home more glory.
