India faces a challenging Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya with a significantly smaller contingent of 168 athletes, down from 303. While aiming to build on its record 111-medal haul from the last Games, selection disputes in para-shooting and para-cycling, coupled with reduced athlete numbers in key disciplines like para-athletics, pose hurdles. Despite these challenges, star athletes across para-athletics, archery, para-badminton, shooting, and table tennis are expected to lead India's medal charge.
Lovlina Borgohain has secured India's first women's boxing gold at the Asian Games in 12 years, defeating China's Ziyi Bao in the 75kg final.
Neeru Dhanda underlined her credentials as India's in-form trap shooter by hitting 48 of 50 targets to emerge joint leader in the women's qualification of the Asian Games.
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.
Indian squash player Anahat Singh, after securing a historic silver medal at the Asian Games, expresses mixed feelings of disappointment and encouragement. She is now focused on improving her PSA rankings to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, acknowledging the challenges of continuous high-level competition.
The Indian Under-18 women's hockey team was defeated by China in a penalty shootout during the semi-finals of the Under-18 Asian Championships, ending their bid for a gold medal. After a 2-2 draw in regulation time, India lost 1-3 in the shootout and will now compete for the bronze medal.
Indian athletes delivered a strong performance at the Commonwealth Games, with weightlifters Gyaneshwari Yadav and Bindyarani Devi securing silver and bronze medals respectively. Several athletes, including long jumpers M Sreeshankar and Lokesh Sathyanathan, boxers Sachin Siwach and Ankush, and swimmers Sajan Prakash, Aryan Nehra, and Swatik Patel, also advanced to their respective finals or quarter-finals, showcasing India's diverse talent across multiple disciplines.
Suchika Tariyal has made history by becoming India's first Asian Games medal winner in Mixed Martial Arts, securing a bronze in the women's traditional 60kg event. The 36-year-old fighter, who hails from Haryana, expressed immense joy and dedicated her medal to her family, acknowledging the financial struggles and personal sacrifices made throughout her career. Despite initially considering retirement, her performance has inspired her to continue her professional fighting journey.
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.
Shailesh Kumar led an Indian sweep of the men's high jump T63 competition, while sprinter Anjanaben Bumbadiya struck gold in the women's 400m T47 event at the Asian Para Games on Thursday.
Indian shooters Neeru Dhanda and Kynan Chenai won the Asian Games trap mixed team gold, setting a new continental record. This victory marks a significant achievement for India's shooting campaign, with Dhanda also securing an individual gold earlier. The pair's success contributes to India's growing medal tally in shooting at the Games.
India's Esha Singh secured a silver medal in the Asian Games women's 25m pistol individual competition, navigating five consecutive shoot-offs before narrowly missing gold by one shot against China's Xiao Jiaruixuan.
India's Manush Shah and Diya Chitale secured a historic medal in mixed doubles table tennis at the Asian Games by defeating Hong Kong's world No. 4 pair. This marks India's second mixed doubles medal in Asian Games history. While other Indian paddlers faced early exits in various categories, Shah also advanced in men's singles and Yashaswini Ghorpade in women's singles.
India's Greco-Roman wrestlers, including Asian Games medallist Sunil Kumar, faced early defeats at the World Championships in Astana on Monday. Three wrestlers, Sunil Kumar, Sahil, and Sachin Sahrawat, were eliminated in their opening rounds, highlighting a disappointing performance from the Indian contingent.
Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat won a gold medal in the men's 57kg freestyle category at the Polyak Imre, Varga Janos and Kozma Istvan Memorial Senior Ranking Tournament in Budapest. Deepak also secured a bronze in the 61kg category, with two more Indian wrestlers vying for podium finishes.
India concluded the Asian Boxing Under-15 Championships in Tashkent with a remarkable haul of 27 medals, including 9 gold, 6 silver, and 12 bronze.
Indian athletes are set for a busy day at the Asian Games on October 2, with events across archery, boxing, canoe slalom, cycling, golf, hockey, rugby sevens, sailing, sepak takraw, taekwondo, volleyball, and wrestling. Key medal events include finals in boxing featuring Lovlina Borgohain and Parveen Hooda, and the women's hockey final against China.
Indian athletes Baranica Elangovan, Gulveer Singh, and Manpreet Kaur secured historic medals at the Asian Games. Elangovan clinched India's first-ever pole vault medal with a bronze, while Singh became the first Indian to win two 10,000m medals, earning a silver. Kaur redeemed herself with a shot put bronze, contributing to India's growing athletics medal tally.
Harmanpreet said all of it helped when the team was faced with nervy situations like the the quarter-final against Britain, when they were reduced to 10 men for more than 40 minutes after Amit Rohidas was red-carded for dangerous play.
Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat won a gold medal in the men's 57kg freestyle category at the Polyak Imre, Varga Janos and Kozma Istvan Memorial Senior Ranking Tournament in Budapest. Deepak also secured a bronze in the 61kg category, with two more Indian wrestlers vying for podium finishes.
The Sports Ministry has invested over Rs 702 crore in the last three years to prepare Indian athletes for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan, featuring 310 debutants.
Asian Games champions India will commence their Asian Champions Trophy Hockey campaign against Bangladesh on October 27 in Jalandhar. The tournament, featuring six top Asian teams, will run from October 27 to November 5 across Jalandhar and Mohali, Punjab. India, five-time ACT winners, aim to continue their strong record as hosts.
France and England, reeling from World Cup semi-final defeats, will compete in the third-place playoff. The match marks Didier Deschamps' final game as France coach and offers Kylian Mbappe a chance to pursue the Golden Boot and the tournament's all-time scoring record. Both teams are expected to rotate their squads.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu's campaign at the World Championships concluded after a quarterfinal defeat to China's Wang Zhi Yi. Sindhu, a two-time world champion, fought hard but ultimately lost in three games, ending her bid for a record sixth medal at the prestigious event and India's hopes for a women's singles medal.
'No point in looking for excuses': Coach Ashutosh Singh on India's Asiad tennis flop.
Indian badminton player Shaina Manimuthu won a bronze medal at the Dutch Junior International tournament, losing in the semifinals to China's Yi Qing Yin.
Manasi Joshi and Thulasimathi Murugesan secured India's first medal at the Asian Para Games by reaching the women's doubles SL3-SU5 semifinals. Tokyo Paralympics champion Krishna Nagar also advanced to the quarterfinals in men's singles SH6, alongside numerous other Indian victories in various singles and doubles categories, despite some setbacks.
India's men's and women's kabaddi teams have both secured their spots in the finals of the Asian Games, continuing their unbeaten run. The women's team defeated Nepal 48-24, while the men's team triumphed over Thailand 66-28 in their respective semi-final matches, setting the stage for a potential double gold medal defence.
Veteran Indian squash players Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar have secured their spot in the mixed doubles quarter-finals at the Asian Games.
The Indian women's compound archery team, comprising Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Chikitha Taniparthi, and Prithika Pradeep, won the gold medal at the Asian Games by defeating China 238-234 in the final. The team also equalled a world record score, marking a sensational performance and successfully retaining their title.
India is set to host the FISU World University Squash Championship in Mumbai from August 3, aiming for its first-ever gold medal. With home advantage and a bronze medallist from the previous edition, Suraj Chand, the team carries high expectations.
Haryana defeated Jharkhand 2-1 to win the 16th Hockey India Junior Women National Championship. Madhya Pradesh secured third place by beating Chhattisgarh 3-1 in the bronze medal match. Haryana made a strong comeback after conceding an early goal, with Bhavya and Khushi scoring to secure their victory.
Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) and Parveen Hooda (65kg) have clinched gold medals in women's boxing at the Asian Games, ending India's 12-year wait for titles in the category.
Indian athlete Ayush Verma clinched a gold medal in the men's shot put F53 event at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya on Wednesday, marking his second medal at the competition.
Asian Games gold medallist Aman Sherawat expresses strong confidence in winning an Olympic wrestling gold medal at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. Having defeated a world champion in the Asian Games, he believes he can achieve what no other Indian wrestler has done, despite the challenges of the competitive 57kg category and past weight issues. He plans to continue training with foreign coaches to fine-tune his techniques.
Indian swimmer Rishabh Das secured the sixth position in the men's 100m backstroke final at the Asian Games, clocking 54.77 seconds. China's Xu Jiayu won gold, while other Indian participants, Utkarsh Patil, Benediction Beniston, and Akash Mani, had disappointing results in their respective events.
Unified high-performance training camps in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Guwahati played a crucial role in India's bronze medal win at the Thomas Cup, with top shuttlers benefiting from the focused preparation.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu is aiming for a historic sixth World Championships medal, driven by her enduring "hunger towards the game" since starting her senior career in 2009.
Indian men's hockey coach Craig Fulton discusses the team's recent successes, including defending the Asian Games gold and securing direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He surprisingly rates the Paris Olympics bronze medal as his most satisfying achievement, highlighting the team's strategic planning and resilience. Fulton also outlines the team's future transition plans, focusing on upcoming tournaments and developing new talent for LA 2028.
Neeru Dhanda and Vivaan Kapoor won a bronze medal in the trap mixed team event at the ISSF World Cup Shotgun in Almaty, Kazakhstan, marking their first World Cup podium finish in the Olympic event.
