Former Asian Games gold-winning heptathlete Swapna Barman has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) after testing positive for the banned anabolic-androgenic steroid Boldenone. Barman, who recently announced her retirement, won gold at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and represented India in the 2016 Olympics.
Asian Games gold-winning quarter-miler VK Vismaya has been suspended for two years by NADA after testing positive for a banned substance, while sprinter N Shanmuga Srinivas received a four-year ban for evading sample collection.
Indian rowers Balraj Panwar and Babu Lal Yadav are confident of winning gold medals at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan, aiming to improve upon their previous performances and end India's wait for a rowing gold at the event.
The Kazakhstan senior men's hockey team is currently in India for a high-performance training camp at the Sports Authority of India's Northern Regional Centre, Sonipat, Haryana, from March 10 to 21 as part of its preparations for the upcoming Asian Games Qualifiers.
China, Taiwan and Japan won the last gold medals on offer from artistic swimming and karate at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Sunday.
Thailand claimed the first esports medal awarded at the Asian Games on Tuesday, winning a bronze in a playoff against Vietnam in a mobile phone game.
Indian skeet shooters Bhavtegh Singh Gill and Mairaj Ahmad performed strongly on the opening day of the ISSF World Cup (Shotgun) in Lonato, Italy, finishing joint 14th. Parinaaz Dhaliwal also impressed in the women's section, placing tied-11th. The performances offer hope for India's first medal of the season and serve as crucial preparation for the upcoming Asian Games, despite other Olympians facing challenges.
India's first Asian Games gold-winning heptathlete, Swapna Barman, has been provisionally suspended by NADA after testing positive for the banned substance Boldenone. This disciplinary action proceeds despite her recent retirement announcement. The case highlights ongoing efforts to combat doping in Indian sports, with other athletes also facing bans.
HS Prannoy battled his way into the semifinal of the men's singles with a thrilling three-game win over Malaysia Lee Zii Jia to assure India a badminton medal
Hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and Olympic medallist boxer Lovlina Borgohain will be the flag-bearers of the Indian contingent during the opening ceremony of the Asian Games in Hangzhou on September 23.
The WFI ad-hoc panel on Tuesday handed Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia and World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat direct entries into the Asian Games.
Indian women's hockey coach Sjoerd Marijne acknowledges the tight schedule between the World Cup and Asian Games but expresses confidence in the team's ability to manage the physical demands. Former captain MM Somaya also highlighted the importance of the World Cup as preparation for the Asian Games, where a gold medal secures a spot in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Esports to breakdancing, Hangzhou will set the trend for future of sport
A few Indian stars will have to go through the disappointment of watching all the action from afar.
Manika Batra took to X, voicing her concerns over the TTFI's decision on her non-inclusion in the Asian Games squad.
Commonwealth Games gold medallist Manika Batra progressed to the women's singles quarter-finals but veterans Sharath Kamal and Gnanasekaran Sathiyan crashed out.
India on Thursday set up a semifinal clash with Pakistan in the men's kabaddi competition
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, who had pulled out of two top events -- FBK Games in the Netherlands and Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland -- due to a muscle strain he sustained last month, has started training but is yet to recover fully.
If approved, yoga could debut as a demonstration sport in the 2026 Games in Nagoya, Japan, marking a significant milestone in its journey from a spiritual practice to a recognised competitive discipline.
A record number of 634 sportspersons were on Friday cleared by the Sports Ministry to compete at the Hangzhou Asian Games, surpassing the 572 athletes in the last edition of continental showpiece in Jakarta in 2018.
India's Swapna Barman on Thursday tendered an "unconditional apology" for her sensational allegations that she lost out on a bronze medal in the women's heptathlon competition of the ongoing Asian Games to a "transgender" athlete.
India is set to field its strongest-ever contingent at the Asia Cup Bridge Championships 2026 in Goa, featuring top international stars and Asian Games medallists. The tournament, organised by the Bridge Federation of India, will host 46 elite teams from Asia and Oceania, highlighting India's growing prominence in intellectual sports.
Organisers keen on cricket in 2026 Asian Games despite venue headache
In the men's doubles, Indian duo of Manav Vikash Thakkar and Manush Utpalbhai Shah defeated Mohamed Shaffan Ismail and Moosa Munsif Ahmed of the Maldives 3-1 (11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-2) to enter the round of 16.
Following is a look at some new and the more unusual events in the schedule of the 19th edition of the Asian Games:
South Korea's Olympic committee has said swimmer Kim Hye-jin was kicked by a Chinese swimmer during training at the Asian Games in Jakarta on Thursday.
Chauhan's men's 90kg bout against Sadegh Azarang failed to last the distance as the Iranian inflicted a 'khalol' -- comprehensive victory with 10 points -- to secure a 10-0 win.
During the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, Johnson broke Bahadur Prasad's 23-year-old 1500m national record with a time of 3 minute 37.86 seconds though he finished fifth in the final.
Unlike Asia's other populous giant China, India have never made much of a splash at the Olympics, their seven-medal haul at the Tokyo Games a record for the nation. Adding cricket to the Olympic programme -- as is expected for the 2028 Los Angeles Games -- could help boost the tally.
Meanwhile, Anas, a member of the gold-winning 4x400m mixed relay team at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, said that a recent tweak in the baton exchange technique has helped them become quicker.
She was a gold medallist in the same category at the 2019 South Asian Games in Kathmandu-Pokhara.
The women's team suffered a third straight defeat, losing to the Philippines 0-2 (18-21, 15-21) in just 39 minutes.
Tennis ace Rohan Bopanna, hockey great P R Sreejesh and table tennis legend Sharath Kamal, are gearing up for one last hurrah at the Asian Games, starting in Hangzhou, from September 23.
The Indian men's kabaddi team thrashed arch-rival Pakistan 61-14 on Friday to storm into the final of the Asian Games.
Indian men's team outwitted China 2-1 to reach the final of the bridge competition, assuring the country of at least a silver medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou on Wednesday.
The national football team is currently ranked 18th in Asia and the sports ministry's rule states that in team sport, only those in top-eight will get the nod.
India's golden generation of squash ready for one last dance at Asian Games
Talisman Sunil Chhetri, senior defender Sandesh Jhingan and first-choice goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu were on Tuesday named in a 22-member Indian men's football squad for the upcoming Asian Games.
The year 2023 will go down as extremely memorable for the Indian sports fraternity as players across various disciplines came together to script history at the Asian Games held in Hangzhou.
The men's team comprises Grandmasters D Gukesh, Gujrathi, Erigaisi, P Harikrishna and R Praggnanandhaa.
