Mairaj Ahmad Khan, a 50-year-old Indian skeet shooter, is set to compete in his fourth Asian Games, showcasing remarkable longevity. The article traces his unique journey from a promising cricketer, who even played with Virender Sehwag, to becoming a decorated shooter with Olympic appearances and World Cup medals. Despite past disappointments, Khan approaches the upcoming games with renewed spirit, embodying wisdom gained over decades in sport.
Para-shooters protesting alleged corruption in the selection process for the Aichi-Nagoya Para Asian Games met Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. They accused the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) of relaxing norms to include unqualified shooters and sought an inquiry into financial irregularities. The Minister is deliberating a resolution.
Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and defending shot put champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor have been selected as India's flag-bearers for the Asian Games opening ceremony. This decision highlights the significant contributions of shooting and athletics to India's medal tally, with a 158-strong contingent participating in the event.
Top Indian athletes, including Animesh Kujur and Praveen Chithravel, are set to compete in the inaugural National Indoor Championships, using the event as preparation for the Asian Games later this year.
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.
India's men's doubles pair Krishna Prasad Garaga and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy secured a significant upset win against fifth seeds He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu of China at the Arctic Open Super 500, advancing to the second round. However, Indian men's singles players HS Prannoy, Tharun Mannepalli, and Rounak Chauhan faced early exits. Tanvi Sharma also progressed in women's singles.
The second season of the Archery Premier League (APL) is set to begin in Hyderabad on Thursday, featuring Olympic medallists and recent Asian Games stars. The six-team franchise competition will host leading recurve and compound archers from India and abroad, running from October 8 to 18 with a unique faster shooting format.
India achieved a remarkable six-gold haul on the penultimate day of the Asian Games, surging to fifth place with 76 medals. Key victories included the women's hockey team securing gold and Olympic qualification, historic boxing golds from Lovlina Borgohain, Parveen Hooda, and Ankush Panghal, a wrestling gold by Sujeet Kalkal, and maiden recurve archery gold. This strong finish significantly bolstered India's overall campaign.
Olympic medallist Swapnil Kusale highlights the growing respect and "fear factor" Indian shooters command internationally due to their consistent performances. He expresses confidence in the Indian contingent for the upcoming Asian Games, despite some notable absences, and discusses challenges like range maintenance.
Indian para shooters Manish Narwal and Shrishti Arora won silver and bronze respectively in the 10m air pistol SH1 events at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya. Narwal's silver also secured a quota place for India at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, making him the third Indian para shooter to do so. The contingent now has four medals.
Due to a delay in receiving his official kit, shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor has been replaced by kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat as India's flag-bearer for the Asian Games opening ceremony in Nagoya.
Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Parinaaz Dhaliwal secured India's first-ever Asian Games medal in the mixed team skeet event, winning a historic bronze. This achievement marked a remarkable three-medal haul for Indian skeet at the Games, overcoming challenging conditions and intense competition. The duo fought through qualification and a nerve-wracking final, adding to their individual team bronzes.
The Indian women's table tennis team achieved a remarkable 3-2 comeback victory against Singapore in their Group F match at the Asian Games. After trailing 1-2, Sreeja Akula and Yashaswini Ghorpade secured crucial wins to clinch the tie. Both the men's and women's teams also started their campaigns with dominant 3-0 wins over Indonesia.
Satnam Singh and Salman Khan secured India's first-ever men's double sculls bronze medal at the Asian Games in Nagoya, a significant achievement amidst a backdrop of internal team controversy regarding last-minute crew changes. The performance, however, highlighted one of India's worst rowing showings in Asian Games history, equalling previous low tallies.
India's weightlifting team, led by Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu, is set to compete at the Commonwealth Games. Despite a reduced squad due to doping violations, India aims to continue its dominant performance in the sport, benefiting from the absence of strong competitors like China and North Korea. Chanu, a strong gold medal contender, plans a cautious approach with the Asian Games in mind.
India is set to host the 26th Asian Fencing Championships, which will also serve as a qualifier for the Asian Games. The Sports Ministry has sanctioned Rs 6 crore for the event, taking place at the Bharat Mandapam complex, featuring over 400 athletes from 30+ countries.
India's women's 10m air rifle team, comprising Sonam Uttam Maskar, Elavenil Valarivan, and Vidarsa Vinod, secured a silver medal at the Asian Games, marking the country's first medal in shooting. The trio finished second behind China, with Sonam and Elavenil also qualifying for the individual finals, raising hopes for more medals.
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.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu advanced to the second round of the Arctic Open Super 500 tournament in Finland. While Sindhu secured a comfortable win, other Indian shuttlers like Unnati Hooda, Ashmita Chaliha, and Malvika Bansod faced defeats, marking a mixed day for the contingent. Tharun Mannepalli and Rounak Chouhan, however, successfully entered the men's singles main draw.
India's track and field contingent delivered a stellar performance at the Asian Para Games, securing 22 medals, including five gold, and propelling the nation to fifth in the overall standings. Sprinter Simran, high-jumper Praveen Kumar, and shot-putter Sachin Khilari notably set new Games records, contributing significantly to India's medal tally across various para-sports.
India's boxing contingent had a stellar day at the Commonwealth Games, securing five more semifinal berths and bringing the total to nine. This achievement surpasses India's previous medal tally in boxing from Birmingham 2022, guaranteeing at least nine medals for the nation.
Indian judoka Arun Kumar has been withdrawn from the upcoming Glasgow Commonwealth Games after failing an out-of-competition dope test. He tested positive for an anabolic steroid and has been provisionally suspended by NADA, reducing India's judo contingent.
Indian weightlifters are set to compete in the Asian Championships, aiming to leverage home advantage and gain momentum for the upcoming Commonwealth and Asian Games.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir stated that all-rounder Hardik Pandya is not yet fit to bowl a full 10-over quota in ODIs and will not be rushed back. Gambhir also hinted at the possibility of playing both Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy once Pandya achieves full bowling fitness, emphasizing his return depends on his all-round contribution.
Indian shooters are set to compete in the Rifle/Pistol World Cup in Granada, Spain, facing a strong international field in both 10m air rifle and air pistol events. The competition serves as a crucial assessment opportunity ahead of the Asian Games and the World Championships, where Olympic quotas will be awarded.
The 2026 Asian Senior Weightlifting Championships, featuring athletes from 30 countries, will be held in Gandhinagar from May 11 to 17. The event serves as a qualifier for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Esports to breakdancing, Hangzhou will set the trend for future of sport
India's top male and female boxers have arrived in Mongolia for a training camp to prepare for the upcoming Asian Boxing Championships.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted India's growing global sporting stature, evidenced by the increasing number of international events the country is hosting. He announced that India is set to host 36 international events between January 2025 and June 2026, along with 9 events this year and 19 in 2027-2028. Mandaviya also spoke about government support for athletes, transparent selection processes for major events like the Commonwealth Games, and improved domestic athletic performances, citing 26 national records broken in Indian athletics recently.
Seasoned shuttler HS Prannoy and rising star Unnati Hooda will lead the Indian contingent at the Taipei Open Super 300 badminton tournament. Both players are looking for consistent performances, with Prannoy facing Japan's Minoru Koga and Unnati taking on a qualifier. Several other Indian players, including Tharun Mannepalli, M Manjunath, S Dayanand, Kiran George, Devika Sihag, Tasnim Mir, and others in doubles, are also set to compete.
India's artistic gymnastics squad is undergoing a three-week training camp in London before heading to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games. The camp, funded by SAI, aims to fine-tune preparations for both men's and women's teams, including Olympian Pranati Nayak. The team will travel directly to Glasgow on July 20.
Indian para swimmer Tejas Nandakumar has been ruled out of the upcoming Glasgow Commonwealth Games due to a classification issue. His entry, initially accepted, was later rejected by organisers after a validation process by World Para Athletics, citing his R-2025 class status as ineligible for the G2026 competition.
Following is a look at some new and the more unusual events in the schedule of the 19th edition of the Asian Games:
Jaspal Rana, a renowned Indian shooting coach and former Asian Games gold medallist, has passed away at the age of 49. He died in a Delhi hospital after undergoing a medical procedure for an illness that occurred during a flight from the ISSF World Cup in Munich. Rana was serving as the high-performance coach for Indian pistol shooters.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lauded armed forces athletes for their medal-winning performance at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games, calling them a 'perfect blend of a soldier and a champion'. He highlighted their strong willpower and the inspiration they provide to the nation, especially the youth. Indian Army athletes secured 16 medals, including 8 gold, contributing significantly to India's overall tally.
Paralympic Committee of India president Devendra Jhajharia expressed confidence in the Indian contingent's performance at the upcoming Asian Para Games in Japan. He highlighted the team's focused training, stress-free environment, and recent successes, while also outlining long-term plans for the 2028 and 2032 Paralympics and addressing grassroots development challenges.
Jyoti Gulia and Aakash have been added to the Indian boxing squad for the World Boxing Cup Stage 2 in Guiyang, China, after Boxing Federation of India President Ajay Singh intervened to ensure their participation despite not being initially part of the government-sanctioned contingent. Their inclusion expands the Indian team to 20 boxers.
Goa is set to host the 5th Asia Cup Bridge Championship from June 21 to 27, attracting 350 players from 16 Asia-Oceania countries. India, having previously hosted in 2018, will field strong 'A' and 'B' teams across various categories, including Asian Games medallists, aiming to add to its 20 previous medals.
Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain and two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen will lead the Indian contingent at the Asian Boxing Championships in Mongolia.
Following her Commonwealth Games 2026 gold medal win, Indian boxer Preeti Pawar reflected on the learning experience that the event gave her ahead of the Asian Games this year and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, the boxing culture in her hometown Bhiwani, known as 'Mini Cuba' for producing world-class talent and the fulfillment of her baklava promise after her medal win in Glasgow.
