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.
Following is a look at some new and the more unusual events in the schedule of the 19th edition of the Asian Games:
India is relying heavily on its boxing, weightlifting, and athletics contingents to maintain its two-decade streak of top-five finishes at the Commonwealth Games, which opens in Glasgow.
Long-serving rowing coach Ismail Baig, a Dronacharya awardee, is no longer part of the national setup, a development he describes as 'shocking'. The Rowing Federation of India president Balaji Maradapa confirmed that Baig is not part of the coaching setup for the Asian Games.
Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain and two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen will lead the Indian contingent at the Asian Boxing Championships in Mongolia.
The 5th Bonus Asia Cup Bridge Championships are set to begin in Goa, featuring nearly 300 players from 16 countries. Defending champions India will compete across various categories, facing strong contenders like Hong Kong and Indonesia. The event, described as the "Asian Games of bridge," highlights India's growing role in the sport.
Paralympic Committee of India President Devendra Jhajharia predicts India will win a record-breaking half a dozen medals in para sports at the upcoming Glasgow Commonwealth Games, despite some exclusions. The 28-member contingent is confident of a strong performance across five disciplines.
Jaspal Rana, the acclaimed Indian shooter and high-performance coach, has passed away at 49. Known for mentoring Olympic medallists like Manu Bhaker and other young talents, Rana's contributions significantly shaped Indian shooting. He was a Dronacharya Award recipient.
Indian boxers delivered a flawless performance at the Commonwealth Games, with four more pugilists - Ankush Yadav, Sakshi Chaudhary, Arundhati Choudhary, and Sachin Siwach - advancing to the semifinals. This brings the total number of Indian boxers in the semifinals to nine, ensuring a minimum of nine bronze medals for the country.
Indian gymnast Pranati Nayak is focusing on increasing her difficulty level for the Asian Championships after winning a silver medal at the FIG World Challenge Cup in Tashkent. She is balancing execution and difficulty in preparation for the Asian Championships, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Games.
Led by Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, India will seek to showcase its ascendency as a sporting power at the Asian Games, which opens formally on Saturday after an unprecedented one-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Veteran sports administrator and India's first Asian Games shooting gold medallist Randhir Singh was cremated in Haridwar. Singh died at his New Delhi residence after battling age-related ailments. He was 79.
Indian hurdler Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan is heading to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with high confidence, following impressive performances at the Paris Olympics and Asian Athletics Championships. He attributes his success to consistent training at the Inspire Institute of Sport and is focused on delivering his best performance while representing India.
Indian men's hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh believes his side is capable of ending the country's five-decade-long World Cup medal drought, drawing parallels with the team's success at the Tokyo Olympics.
India finished fourth at the 2026 Commonwealth Games with 39 medals, overcoming the absence of traditional medal-winning sports. The contingent's success was driven by a record-breaking boxing campaign, a historic performance in judo, and strong contributions from para athletes, showcasing the country's expanding sporting depth.
Temperamental Indian women's cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur will only be able to play in the Asian Games if her team reaches the final of the mega event starting September 23 in Hangzhou.
Indian sports administrators have been warned against treating multi-sport events as 'paid holidays'. The ministry has also reiterated the need for videography of selection trials for transparency.
India's young table tennis players have showcased their dominance at the Asian Youth Table Tennis Championships, securing quarterfinal spots in both U-19 and U-15 categories after a successful run in the team events.
Reigning Indian Super League champions East Bengal are set to face Kuwaiti league runners-up Al Arabi SC in a critical AFC Champions League Two preliminary-stage knockout fixture. The single-leg qualifier will determine a spot in the group stage, with East Bengal navigating squad challenges under new coach Antonio Lopez Habas.
A strong contingent of Commonwealth Games-bound Indian boxers, led by Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain, will participate in the invitational Grand Prix Usti nad Labem in Czechia. The tournament offers a crucial opportunity for the athletes to fine-tune their preparations and gain international exposure against strong opposition.
India were able to stitch a rag-tag final squad only on Friday and the team left for China on Sunday, leaving no time for the players to even have a training session together.
The Indian sporting fraternity mourns the death of veteran administrator and former shooter Randhir Singh, with tributes pouring in from prominent figures like Abhinav Bindra and PT Usha.
Bhowneesh Mendiratta leads a 12-member Indian squad at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Tangier, Morocco, marking the start of the qualification cycle for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Bhowneesh Mendiratta leads the Indian shooting contingent at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Tangier, Morocco, aiming for a strong start to the season after missing the Paris Olympics. The team faces a tough challenge with experienced and debutant shooters competing.
Top Indian athletes, including Animesh Kujur and Praveen Chithravel, are set to compete in the inaugural National Indoor Championships in Bhubaneswar, viewing it as crucial preparation for the Asian Games.
India's para archery team excelled at the World Archery Para Series in Bangkok, securing the top position with 13 medals.
Neeru Dhanda finished seventh in the women's trap final at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup, continuing India's medal drought in the competition. Despite a strong comeback in qualification, she was eliminated early in the final. Australia's Penny Smith won gold, setting a world record.
India's high jumper Tejaswin Shankar on Thursday said he has not been able to perform to his full potential owing to chronic tendonitis and it's now a "certainty" that he will compete in decathlon at next year's Asian Games.
Trap shooter Zoravar Singh, buoyed by his World Championships bronze, is now focused on qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, emphasising relentless training and tactical analysis.
Indian shooters faced setbacks and successes at the ISSF World Cup in Granada, Spain, with the women's 50m rifle team missing qualification and the men's 25m rapid-fire pistol team advancing to the next stage.
Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu will lead India's challenge at the Thailand Open Super 500 tournament, following the country's bronze-medal finish at the Thomas Cup Finals.
Indian pistol and rifle shooters are determined to continue their winning streak at the ISSF World Cup in Granada, Spain, despite missing key players.
Indian trap shooters are aiming for a better performance at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Tangier after a disappointing showing from the skeet team. Key athletes like Bhowneesh Mendiratta, Prithviraj Tondaiman, and Kynan Chenai are set to compete.
The Indian Olympic Association went against the popular mood for football to give the little-known Pencak Silat a chance at the Asian Games.
Gaganjeet Bhullar's solid round and Shiv Kapur's hole-in-one highlighted the first day for the Indian players at the Singapore Open, where Thailand's Ekpharit Wu and Japan's Jeongwoo Ham lead.
The World Para Athletics Grand Prix in New Delhi has been significantly affected by the conflict in West Asia and the month of Ramzan, leading to a sharp decline in international participation.
Senior players Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa lost their matches against Joey Chan and Annie Au, 1-3 and 0-3, respectively. Sunayna Kuruvilla, who is Pallikal's cousin, kept India in the hunt with a fighting win over Tze Lok Ho in the second singles.
The Indian youth boxing team has made a promising start at the World Boxing Futures Cup 2026 in Bangkok, with several boxers securing victories in their opening matches.
For the 12th successive time, none could match up to India's regional might but the host country's record-breaking medal haul of 308 can hardly hide the fact that the standard of competition in the South Asian Games has failed to rise significantly.
Afghanistan's anti-doping programme has collapsed since the Taliban's return to power, with no tests conducted for three years and the country's exiled anti-doping chief admitting there is currently 'no hope'. The programme faces numerous challenges, including a lack of Doping Control Officers, logistical issues, and political instability.
