India's compound archers enjoyed a stellar outing at the Asian Championships, winning two gold medals and one silver on a productive day in Dhaka on Thursday.
Rewari's Kamaljeet, a 22-year-old pistol shooter, is set to represent India at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, after an injury ended his athletics dream and he transitioned to shooting in 2019, overcoming financial struggles with strong family and institutional support.
India commenced its U-19 Asian Boxing Championships campaign with impressive victories from Chandrika Pujari and Joyshree Devi. Chandrika secured a unanimous 5-0 win, while Joyshree forced an RSC. The campaign continues with U-23 men's boxers entering the ring, highlighting India's strong contingent and the championships' role in developing young talent.
India's U-23 men boxers showcased a strong performance at the Asian U-19 & U-23 Boxing Championships in Jakarta, with six athletes advancing to the semifinals. This achievement guarantees India at least six medals in the competition, highlighting the talent of young Indian pugilists on the international stage.
Indian pugilists Ambekar Meetei, Aditya, Sikander, and Devendra Choudhary delivered strong performances on day 3 of the Asian U-19 & U-23 Boxing Championships in Jakarta, securing impressive victories. Ambekar and Devendra won by RSC, while Aditya and Sikander achieved convincing 5:0 wins, highlighting India's continued success in the tournament.
India's men's freestyle team emerged as champions at the U23 Asian Wrestling Championships, held in Da Nang, Vietnam. The country concluded its campaign with a total of 27 medals across various categories, showcasing dominance in freestyle, women's wrestling, and Greco-Roman disciplines.
Indian boxers Vishvanath Suresh (50kg) and Ganga (55kg) secured gold medals at the Asian U-19 and U-23 Boxing Championships in Jakarta. The U-23 men's team delivered two golds and one silver, while U-19 boxers earned two silver medals, showcasing a strong overall performance.
India's young athletes demonstrated strong performances on the second day of the inaugural Asian U23 Athletics Championships in Ordos, China, securing three bronze medals. Shakeel and Bhumeshwory Devi Huidrom earned bronze in the men's and women's 800m respectively, while Abhay Singh added another bronze in the men's 200m race.
The Bangladesh government has approved its shooters to travel to India for next month's Asian Rifle and Pistol Championships, days after refusing to send its national cricket team to the country.
The trials will select top wrestlers to represent India at the Asian Championship in Amman, Jordan from March 25-30.
India's Madhavendra Pratap Sharma and Kazakhstan's Akhilbay Imangali are leading the rapid event of the Asian Junior Chess Championship in Mumbai, both with a perfect score of 4 points after four rounds. While the open section sees clear leaders, the girls' rapid championship is a much closer contest with six players sharing the lead, all unbeaten. With three rounds remaining, the competition for titles and podium finishes remains intense in both categories.
India concluded the third day of the inaugural Asian U23 Athletics Championships with a total of 11 medals, adding three more on Saturday. Distance runner Shivaji Parashuram secured his second silver medal in the men's 10,000m, while Priya won bronze in discus throw and Shravani Sangle claimed bronze in the 400m hurdles.
Woman Fide Master Pratitee Bordoloi and Grandmaster-elect Mayank Chakraborty have emerged as sole leaders in their respective categories at the Asian Junior Girls Classical Chess Championship and Open Championship in Mumbai after seven rounds. Both players secured crucial results to maintain their half-point advantage over their nearest rivals as the tournament progresses to its decisive stage.
Ariha Pangambam has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal in the senior women's individual event at the Aerobic Gymnastics Asian Championships. She secured the top spot with a score of 19.100, marking India's maiden gold in this event.
Lalit secured a silver medal in the 55kg Greco Roman category. Sunil Kumar added a bronze, while Nitesh advanced to the final of the 97kg competition at the Asian Wrestling Championships, marking a successful day for India.
Six Indian women boxers have advanced to the semifinals of the Asian U-19 and U-23 Boxing Championships in Jakarta, assuring India of at least eight medals in the U-19 category. Notable victories include Chandrika Bhoresh Pujari, Joyshree Devi, Prachi, Chahat, Gunjan, and Anshika.
Aryaveer Dewan emerged as the Asian boys' U-19 champion at the 33rd Asian Junior Individual Squash Championships in Panzhihua, China, marking him as the fourth Indian to achieve this feat.
Indian squash players, including Abhay Singh, Velavan Senthilkumar, Joshna Chinappa, and Rathika Seelan, delivered strong performances at the 3rd Asian Doubles Squash Championships in Sarawak, Malaysia, securing top spots in their respective pools. While some pairs advanced, another Indian men's pair was eliminated.
The Asian Junior Classical Championship in Mumbai saw top seed Mayank Chakraborty win his opening match, while other leading contenders Vignesh Advaith Vemula and Akhilbay Imangali were held to draws. The girls' section witnessed several upsets, with lower-rated players securing draws or victories against higher-rated opponents. The tournament features a strong field of 85 players from nine federations, including International Masters and FIDE Masters.
Indian chess prodigies Pratitee Bordoloi and Mayank Chakraborty have significantly advanced their positions in the Asian Junior Classical Chess Championship, each securing crucial wins in the penultimate round. They now hold strong leads heading into the final round, poised to claim their respective titles.
Deepadhar, featuring former Asian Games gold medallists, has taken an early lead in the fifth East Zone Bridge Championship in Kolkata, accumulating 65.22 Victory Points after four rounds. The tournament, a Bridge Federation of India Ranking Two event, involves around 300 players from 50 teams across East Zone states competing for a Rs 6 lakh prize purse, with the top 16 teams advancing to the knockout stage.
The Asian Junior Classical Championship in Mumbai saw top seed Mayank Chakraborty win his opening match, while other leading contenders Vignesh Advaith Vemula and Akhilbay Imangali were held to draws. The girls' section witnessed several upsets, with lower-rated players securing draws or victories against higher-rated opponents. The tournament features a strong field of 85 players from nine federations, including International Masters and FIDE Masters.
Indian chess players Vignesh Vermula and Saranya Devi secured gold medals in the Open and Girls blitz sections respectively at the Asian Junior Chess Championship, marking a strong start for the nation. Vermula, a 23rd seed, won on tie-breaks, while Saranya, seeded ninth, displayed tactical precision to claim her title.
The 2026 Asian Senior Weightlifting Championships, featuring participants from approximately 30 nations, commenced in Gandhinagar, highlighting India's growing role in international sports.
India's Vivaan Vishal and Turkmenistan's Shohradova Lala won the Open and Girls sections, respectively, at the Asian Junior Rapid Chess Championship in Mumbai. Vivaan secured his title with a strong finish, while Shohradova claimed victory after a tie-break against India's Pratitee Bordoloi. The event now moves to the Classical Championship.
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.
Lalit advances to the gold medal match at the Asian Wrestling Championships, while Aman and Sunil Kumar will compete for bronze medals.
Indian women wrestlers Hansika Lamba and Neha won bronze medals, while Meenakshi Goyat advanced to the final at the Senior Asian Wrestling Championships.
Indian boxers showcased a powerful performance at the Asian U-19 and U-23 Championships, with eight athletes advancing to the finals in the U-23 categories. Additionally, seven Indian boxers secured bronze medals after reaching the semi-finals, highlighting the nation's strength in youth boxing.
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.
At 22, Ariha Pangambam from Manipur created history by winning the first ever individual gold for India in aerobic gymnastics at the Asian championships.
Pakistan has decided not to send its team to the Asian Senior Fencing Championships in New Delhi, despite an invitation from local organisers. India is hosting the event for the first time, which will also include the General Assembly of the Fencing Confederation of Asia. Several other nations, including Hong Kong and Australia, are also facing visa-related challenges for their delegations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Indian contingent for their performance at the 22nd Asian U20 Athletics Championship in Hong Kong, where they won 19 medals, including 10 gold.
The India U17 women's football team will play two friendly matches against the Philippines in Goa in late September as part of their preparations for the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers. These matches will serve as the final warm-up before their qualification campaign in Malaysia in October, where they aim for a second consecutive appearance in the Asian Cup.
Indian middle and long-distance runner Ankita Dhyani achieved a personal best time of 4:06.75s in the women's 1500m race at the Stumptown Twilight event in Portland, USA, finishing second. This performance is the fastest by an Indian this season and the fourth fastest ever, highlighting her consistent improvement and strong form.
India's Prachi Lohan and Sachin achieved top-25 finishes at the Asian Senior Fencing Championships in New Delhi. Japan's Kyosuke Matsuyama won gold in men's foil, while Kazakhstan's Irina Bakaldina secured gold in women's epee, marking a historic first for her country.
Vidarsa K Vinod, a 27-year-old rifle shooter from Kozhikode, has secured a spot in the Indian squad for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Her path from an NCC introduction to elite competition was marked by financial struggles, training with borrowed equipment, and overcoming setbacks like the COVID-19 pandemic. With crucial support from her family, husband, and the National Centre of Excellence, she now aims to become the World No. 1 in her sport.
Japan's Masaru Yamada and Sano Yui clinched gold medals in men's epee and women's sabre respectively at the Senior Asian Fencing Championships. Hosts India, including Olympian C. A. Bhavani Devi, had a disappointing outing with fencers finishing in lower ranks across both events.
Sanjana secured a bronze medal in the women's 77kg category at the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Gandhinagar, adding to India's medal tally. She lifted a total of 220kg. China and North Korea secured gold and silver respectively.
India's sub-junior men's and women's hockey5s teams commenced their FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship 2026 campaign with impressive victories in Muscat, with the women's team beating Kazakhstan 8-3 and the men's team defeating Bangladesh 7-3. The tournament also serves as the Asian qualifier for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup.
