Indian trap shooter Neeru Dhanda, who secured two gold medals and a silver, served as India's flag-bearer at the closing ceremony of the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, marking a historic campaign for the country.
Japan's 11-year-old esports prodigy Yuki Kurihara secured a gold medal in Puyo Puyo Champions at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, defeating South Korea's Kang Dong Shin 10-2.
India's women's 10m air rifle team, comprising Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar, and Vidarsa Vinod, secured a silver medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. This marks India's first confirmed medal at the event, with Sonam and Elavenil also qualifying for the individual final.
India's para track and field athletes delivered a stellar performance at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games, securing six medals, including three gold, on the opening day of athletics competitions. Long jumper Nishad Kumar, javelin thrower Rinku Hooda, and visually impaired middle-distance runner Soumya each won gold in their respective events, contributing to India's strong start.
Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting has won a gold medal in the women's 60kg boxing category at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, two years after facing a gender-eligibility dispute at the Paris Olympics. Lin was cleared to compete earlier this year and defeated China's Yang Chengyu. The article also highlights India's Lovlina Borgohain winning gold in the 75kg category.
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 shooter Elavenil Valarivan secured two silver medals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, winning an individual silver in the women's 10m air rifle event and contributing to a team silver. Her performance marks an encouraging start for India's shooting campaign, which aims to build on the success of the previous Hangzhou Asian Games.
Asian Games gold medallist Pranavi Urs is set to compete in the Hero Women's Indian Open starting October 22 in Gurugram. Fresh off her success in Aichi-Nagoya, Urs is confident and aims to leverage her "home turf" advantage at the DLF Golf and Country Club, even expressing a desire to challenge defending champion Shannon Tan.
Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain secured her first Asian Games gold medal in the women's 75kg category on her 29th birthday, defeating China's Bao Ziyi 5-0. Her father expressed immense joy, highlighting her tireless efforts to upgrade her previous silver medal. Boxing Federation of India president Ajay Singh praised Lovlina's resolve and mental strength, calling her a role model and her victory the best birthday gift.
Indian golfer Pranavi Urs fulfilled a lifelong dream by spending an hour with her idol, Rory McIlroy, in India. The two discussed their respective triumphs, with Urs sharing how she drew inspiration from McIlroy's Masters win during her own gold medal victory at the recent Asian Games. Urs also spoke about the growth of Indian golf, managing expectations, and her Olympic aspirations.
India's Suraj Singh Mayanglambam secured the 11th position in the men's changquan wushu final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
India's six-member League of Legends team, featuring a blend of experienced and new players, is set to compete at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. They are placed in a challenging Group B alongside defending champions South Korea, Chinese Taipei, and Hong Kong, with the tournament running from September 29 to October 2.
A small contingent of the 74-member Indian athletics team is still awaiting visa clearance for Japan, potentially impacting their acclimatisation camp ahead of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. AFI officials are working to resolve the issue, which stems from VFS requirements regarding application locations.
Mohammad Yunus Khan, a renowned athletics coach who mentored star long-distance runners like Gulveer Singh and Kartik Kumar, has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for alleged 'complicity' in an anti-doping rule violation. Khan, a coach at the Army Sports Institute, faces charges under Article 2.9 of NADA rules, though the exact nature of his offence remains undisclosed. The suspension highlights ongoing efforts against doping in Indian sports, with several other athletes also recently provisionally suspended.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced a cash incentive of Rs 30 lakh each for Jehan Dorab Madan and Baby Sahana Ravi, who won bronze medals in table tennis at the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The Chief Minister lauded their achievements, highlighting their role as an inspiration for young para-athletes.
Indian wushu athletes Suraj Singh Mayanglambam, Aparna Dahiya, and Vikrant Baliyan faced mixed fortunes at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Archer Kumkum Mohod and wrestler Sujeet Kalkal have been named the first recipients of the Jaspal Rana Award and Raja Randhir Singh Award, respectively, by the Indian Olympic Association. These awards recognise their exceptional performances at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where Mohod secured two archery golds and Kalkal won gold in wrestling.
Takumi Hojo secured Japan's first gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoa Asian Games, winning the men's individual triathlon. Hojo, who previously won mixed relay gold, overcame early positions to dominate the run segment, finishing nine seconds ahead of China's Zhang Xirui. His victory has boosted the Japanese team's morale.
India finished fourth at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with 85 medals, a significant dip from the previous edition's record haul. While traditional strongholds like shooting and athletics underperformed, breakthroughs in archery, wrestling, golf, boxing, hockey, and cricket showcased a broadening sporting base. The performance serves as a reality check on sustaining progress towards top global rankings and highlights areas for improvement in mental conditioning and preparation.
India achieved a respectable fourth-place finish in the Asian Games medals tally, securing 85 medals including 21 gold, driven by a significant late surge in boxing, archery, wrestling, and hockey, despite initial setbacks in shooting and athletics.
Organisers of the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya are preparing for potential disruptions as Tropical Storm Dujuan, with maximum sustained winds of 90 kph, heads towards central Japan, threatening events already underway.
Washington Sundar and Sanju Samson were seen enjoying a rainy evening stroll in Tokyo, ahead of India's historic first-ever T20 International against Japan in Sano on Tuesday.
India's women's table tennis team commenced their Asian Games campaign with a resounding 3-0 victory over Indonesia in their opening Group F match. Sreeja Akula, Diya Chitale, and Yashaswini Ghorpade each secured wins in their respective rubbers, ensuring a dominant start for the Indian contingent.
India's visually-impaired judokas snared two medals at the Asian Para Games on Monday with Kokila winning a silver in women's J2 -52kg category and Kapil Parmar clinching a bronze in the men's J1 -70kg division.
Indian weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu secured a silver medal in the women's 49kg category at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, completing her collection of major international medals. Her chief coach, Vijay Sharma, revealed that a meticulously designed training programme focused on injury prevention was crucial to her success, especially after previous Asian Games disappointments due to injury. Chanu lifted a combined 198kg, adding this prestigious medal to her Olympic silver, Commonwealth Games golds, and World Championships title.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is scheduled to meet para-shooters protesting alleged corruption and manipulation in the selection process for the upcoming Para Asian Games. The athletes claim "illicit monetary extortion" and violations of Sports Ministry guidelines by the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) and its Shooting Technical Committee. The PCI denies the charges, stating selections were merit-based. Separately, para-cyclists also protested their omission from the contingent.
Soft tennis player Jay Meena, marathon runner Sawan Barwal, and air pistol shooter Kamaljeet share their personal journeys and challenges leading up to their medal wins at the Asian Games. Meena recounts how school rustication led him to soft tennis and his struggle with quarterfinal defeats. Barwal discusses the mental pressure of switching to marathon running, while Kamaljeet reflects on injury setbacks and the pressure of securing India's first shooting gold at the Games.
Indian wushu athlete Nyeman Wangsu secured the 15th position in the women's Changquan final at the Asian Games, scoring 9.573 points. Hong Kong's Hui Yu Lydia Sham won gold, with Macau and Indonesia taking silver and bronze respectively.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Mirabai Chanu for winning Asian Games silver, praising her determination as the medal completed her major championship collection and lifted India's tally to 11.
Japanese Olympic Committee chief Seiko Hashimoto acknowledged "many problems" at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, particularly regarding accommodation, but emphasized that criticism doesn't reflect the full experience. She highlighted innovative solutions like cruise ship lodging as potential models for future cost-effective international competitions and stressed the importance of learning from challenges, including weather disruptions. Hashimoto also celebrated Japan's record medal haul at the Games.
Jay Meena dreamed of becoming a cricketer, but fate had other plans.
Indian sport shooter Rudrankksh Patil, a multiple medallist at the ongoing Asian Games, was given a grand civic reception in his hometown of Thane. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde praised his achievements, which include bronze and silver medals at the recent games, and highlighted his inspiring journey for young athletes. The article also notes his past and future successes, including a silver at the 2026 Asian Games.
Teenaged Indian archer Kumkum Mohod made history at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games by winning India's first-ever women's individual recurve archery gold medal and securing an Olympic quota place. Her coach and association secretary highlight her dedication, academic inclination, and long-term goal of winning an Olympic medal, despite financial challenges.
Aisam ul Haq Qureshi, President of the Pakistan Tennis Federation, has announced he will compete as a doubles player in the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
The Sports Ministry is set to review India's performance at the recent Asian Games on October 13. The focus will be on the underwhelming results of experienced athletes in sports like badminton, shooting, and athletics.
Irish golf star Rory McIlroy met and applauded India's Asian Games gold-winning golfer Pranavi Urs for her "tremendous resilience and character" during her recent victory. McIlroy, in India for the DP World India Championships, praised Urs's ability to overcome a triple bogey to secure gold and her contribution to India's team silver.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his best wishes to the Indian contingent participating in the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.
Typhoon Dujuan is approaching East Japan's Pacific Coast, bringing warnings of heavy rain, strong winds, and landslides. The typhoon has already caused transportation disruptions and led to the postponement of an equestrian event at the Asian Games venue.
Japan inaugurated the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya with a vibrant opening ceremony that seamlessly blended advanced technology and rich cultural traditions, despite earlier organisational challenges.
New Zealand paceman Jacob Duffy has acknowledged India's 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as an 'incredible talent' but expects home conditions to challenge the power-hitter in the upcoming Twenty20 series.
