The 20th Asian Games have officially commenced in Nagoya, Japan, with a vibrant opening ceremony. Emperor Naruhito declared the Games open, which saw contingents from 45 nations and the OCA Refugee Team participate in the athletes' parade.
Indian badminton stars Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu face challenging draws in the individual competitions at the Asian Games, while defending champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have a more favourable path to the semifinals. The individual events follow India's men's team securing a bronze medal. Players will need to overcome tough opponents to secure individual medals.
Indian squash players Joshna Chinappa, Velavan Senthilkumar, Anahat Singh, and Abhay Singh have secured at least three medals at the Asian Games by advancing to the semifinals in mixed doubles and singles events. Joshna Chinappa, playing in her record seventh Asian Games, and Senthilkumar dominated their mixed doubles quarterfinal. Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh also delivered strong performances in their respective singles quarterfinals, with Anahat aiming for an Olympic berth.
This article presents the medals tally after Day 9 of the Asian Games, highlighting the leading countries and India's position. China maintains a significant lead, followed by Japan and South Korea.
Kapil Dev, president of the Professional Golf Tour of India, praised Pranavi Urs for her historic individual gold and the women's team for their silver medal at the Asian Games, highlighting the growing strength of women's golf in India.
Ace Indian trap shooter Neeru Dhanda, a triple medallist at the Asian Games with two golds and a silver, has been selected as the women's flag bearer for the closing ceremony in Nagoya. She will return to Nagoya to lead the Indian contingent after her remarkable performance.
Head coach V V S Laxman hailed the Indian team's 'champion's mindset' after they beat Pakistan to win the gold medal in the men's T20 cricket tournament at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
Vidarsa K Vinod has become the first female sportsperson from Keralam to win a medal in a shooting event, securing a silver in the women's 10 meter air rifle team event at the 20th Asian Games. This achievement marks a significant milestone for the state and for Vinod, who began shooting in 2018.
Long-distance runner Abhishek Pal, selected for the Asian Games, has received a notice from NADA for an alleged doping violation. While not yet provisionally suspended, a banned substance, possibly a female fertility drug, was found in his sample, raising concerns about his participation in the upcoming games.
Defending champions India are set to face arch-rivals Pakistan in a high-stakes men's hockey semifinal at the Asian Games. The winner of the gold medal will secure a direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and defending shot put champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor have been named as India's flag-bearers for the Asian Games opening ceremony. Bhaker's Olympic achievements and Toor's past Asian Games gold medals highlight their selection.
China has made a strong start at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with teenage swimmer Yu Zidi setting a new Games record and Olympic champion Pan Zhanle defending his title.
Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu is now setting her sights on an Asian Games medal, acknowledging the immense pressure that comes with high expectations after her successful Commonwealth Games campaign.
Indian women's kabaddi captain Pushpa Rana led her team to a record-extending fourth Asian Games gold medal, defeating a strong Iranian side 37-34. Rana highlighted the team's reliance on their raiders and the pressure of maintaining India's dominance in the sport.
Indian long-distance runner Seema won a bronze medal in the women's 10,000m race at the Asian Games. She revealed that she kept her participation a secret from her 78-year-old mother, who suffers from high blood pressure and worries excessively when Seema travels. Seema, from Himachal Pradesh, is only the third Indian woman to medal in this event at the Asian Games and plans to compete in the 5000m race to try for a different medal. She credits her training under Scott Simon for her success.
Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh assured themselves of singles medals at the Asian Games by advancing to the semi-finals in their respective events at the Asian Games on Friday.
Yashvir threw the javelin to a distance of 85.72 m, his personal best.
Indian shooter Rahi Sarnobat's Asian Games campaign was marred by a controversial scoring decision in the 25m sports pistol qualification. A shot she believed was on target was ruled to have hit the frame, resulting in a zero and severely impacting India's team medal chances. Sarnobat questioned the decision and the evidence, highlighting the need for a more effective challenge mechanism in competitive shooting.
Sawan Barwal secured an unexpected silver medal in the Asian Games marathon, shattering his own national record with a time of 2:11:37.
Indian paddlers concluded their Asian Games canoeing campaign without securing any medals, falling short of their previous performance at the Hangzhou edition.
India's six-member golf contingent, led by silver medallist Aditi Ashok, is set to compete at the Asian Games. The team, comprising experienced professionals like Yuvraj Sandhu, Veer Ahlawat, and Diksha Dagar, aims to add to India's seven past golf medals. They face a strong international field, including PGA Tour stars like Tom Kim and Keita Nakajima, on a challenging course.
India's highly anticipated women's 10m air pistol team, featuring Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh, and Suruchi Inder Singh, failed to secure a medal at the Asian Games, with only Bhaker reaching the individual final and finishing fifth. Despite this setback, India managed to win two bronze medals in the men's and women's skeet events, bringing the total shooting tally to seven. The performance has raised questions about India's shooting selection policies and preparation, especially given the contrast with previous Games. Manu Bhaker also spoke about personal challenges, including the recent death of her coach.
Indian gymnast Pranati Nayak secured the sixth position in the eight-woman vault final at the Asian Games in Nagoya, scoring an aggregate of 13.100. She was the sole Indian gymnast participating in the event.
Indian athlete Parul Chaudhary expressed her satisfaction after winning two bronze medals at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, despite facing tough competition in both the 5000m and 3000m steeplechase events.
Five Indian tennis players were excluded from the Asian Games squad because they did not meet the Sports Ministry's stringent international ranking criteria, a decision that has drawn criticism from veteran players like Rohan Bopanna but is being upheld by authorities to maintain administrative integrity.
India's athletics campaign at the Asian Games started strongly with the mixed 4x400m relay team securing a silver medal, their third consecutive Asian Games medal in the event. Additionally, Seema won a surprise bronze in the women's 10,000m race, marking India's first medal in athletics at the Games. Other Indian athletes also progressed to semifinals in various events.
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.
India trap coach Peter Wilson explains his wild medal pledges after Neeru Dhanda's Asian Games gold, recalling his bald-headed celebration in 2025.
India's Prachi Choudhary secured a bronze medal in the women's 400m final at the Asian Games in Nagoya, clocking 53.21 seconds. This achievement is particularly significant for Prachi, who expressed her satisfaction in proving her capability in individual events, having previously been told she was only strong in relays. She also mentioned her familiarity with rainy conditions, which were present during the event.
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.
Indian golfer Pranavi Urs made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win an Asian Games gold medal in golf.
Double Olympic-medallist Manu Bhaker finished fifth in the women's 10m air pistol individual event at the Asian Games, while India narrowly missed a team bronze, finishing fourth. Other Indian shooters Esha Singh and Suruchi Singh also did not qualify for the final. India's shooting contingent has secured seven medals so far, but no gold.
India's shooting campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games commenced with a strong performance, securing two silver medals in the women's 10m air rifle event. Experienced shooter Elavenil Valarivan was instrumental, winning an individual silver and contributing to a team silver alongside Sonam Uttam Maskar and debutant Vidarsa Vinod. While Elavenil narrowly missed individual gold, her performance, coupled with the team's success, provided an encouraging start for India.
Indian Olympian Nethra Kumanan won a bronze medal in the women's dinghy event at the Asian Games sailing competition in Gamagori City, Japan.
India's top compound archer, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, discusses her recent performance at the Asian Games, including a women's team gold and an early individual exit. She expresses her determination to compete in the 2028 Olympics, where the compound mixed team event will debut, and shares her strategies for maintaining focus.
The Indian track cycling teams were eliminated from the medal races in the men's and women's team sprint and women's team pursuit events at the Asian Games in Nagoya. Despite their efforts, the teams could not match the pace of competitors like China, Japan, and Chinese Taipei, thus ending India's medal hopes in these disciplines.
Indian boxer Sachin Siwach secured a hard-fought split-decision victory over Jordan's Mohammad Adnan Abu Jajeh to advance to the men's 60kg quarterfinals at the Asian Games, moving one step closer to a medal.
The coach of Japan's women's judo team said Rin Maeda had been left with bite marks on her arm after her Asian Games quarter-final opponent Tang Jing was disqualified for unsportsmanlike behaviour on Thursday.
India women's head coach Amol Muzumdar and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur view the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games as crucial preparation and a 'teaser' for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where women's cricket will make its debut, aiming to carry their winning mindset into both global events.
China leads the medal tally at the Aich-Nagoya Asian Games after the fourth day of competitions, securing 78 medals including 48 gold. Japan and South Korea follow, while India is currently placed 13th with 12 medals.
