India's first female senior world champion wrestler, Manisha Bhanwala, shares how her disappointment at the Asian Games earlier this year motivated her to clinch gold at the World Championships. She discusses her strategic shift to the 57kg category for the Olympics, her inspirations including Aryna Sabalenka, and her belief in manifestation through journaling to achieve her goals.
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.
Nitesh Siwach has secured India's first silver medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Asian Games since 1962, despite missing out on gold in the men's 97kg final against Japan's Yuri Nakazato.
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.
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.
Archer Kumkum Mohod and wrestler Sujeet Kalkal have been named the first recipients of the Jaspal Rana Award and Raja Randhir Singh Award, respectively, by the Indian Olympic Association. These awards recognise their exceptional performances at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where Mohod secured two archery golds and Kalkal won gold in wrestling.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath congratulated the Indian women's hockey team for winning the gold medal at the Asian Games 2026, ending a 44-year wait and securing a direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He also extended congratulations to other Indian medal winners in boxing, wrestling, and archery, highlighting India's strong performance at the Games.
Nitesh Siwach secured India's first Greco-Roman wrestling silver medal at the Asian Games since 1962, though he missed out on gold after being defeated by Japan's Yuri Nakazato in the 97kg final. Meanwhile, Mansi Ahlawat lost her bronze medal play-off in the women's 62kg event, and other Indian wrestlers were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Indian wrestler Deepak Punia secured a bronze medal in the men's 97kg category at the Asian Games, defeating Mongolia's Gankhuyang Ganbataar. This marks his second Asian Games medal, following a silver in 2023, and adds to his impressive international record including a 2019 World Championships silver.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated India's Asian Games medallists, praising their outstanding performances and specifically highlighting the women's hockey team's gold medal win after over four decades. India secured a strong position in the medals tally with a six-gold haul on the penultimate day, with Modi acknowledging individual achievements in wrestling, boxing, archery, sepaktakraw, and sailing.
India overcame early setbacks in shooting and athletics to achieve a strong fourth-place finish at the Asian Games, matching its previous edition's ranking. A late surge in boxing, archery, wrestling, and hockey, alongside historic wins in golf and cricket, contributed significantly to the medal tally, despite a lower overall medal count compared to the 2022 edition.
Indian wrestlers showcased their dominance at the U23 Wrestling Asian Championships, securing multiple gold medals in both freestyle and women's categories.
Indian athletes are set for a busy day at the Asian Games on September 30, with competitions across various disciplines including archery, boxing, cycling, golf, judo, sailing, shooting, squash, tennis, and wrestling. Several medal opportunities and crucial semifinal matches await the contingent.
This article provides a comprehensive schedule for Indian athletes participating in various disciplines at the Asian Games on October 1, including archery, cricket, hockey, wrestling, and more, detailing their qualification rounds, semi-finals, and potential medal matches.
Indian wrestlers Mansi Lather, Kajal, and Sumit secured gold medals at the U23 Asian Wrestling Championships in Da Nang, Vietnam, leading a strong performance by the Indian contingent.
India concluded its Asian Games campaign in Nagoya with a creditable fourth place, securing 85 medals, including 21 golds. The final days saw a surge in gold medals, notably from the cricket and hockey teams, and historic individual wins by 17-year-old archer Kumkum Mohod and golfer Pranavi Urs.
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.
The Delhi High Court has sought WFI's response on Vinesh Phogat's plea to participate in the September 14 selection trials for the 2026 World Championship.
India's Asian Games campaign looked bleak in Nagoya. A slow medal start saw the country slip to around 12th, before a late surge took India back to fourth with 85 medals.
India finished fourth at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with 85 medals, a significant dip from the previous edition's record haul. While traditional strongholds like shooting and athletics underperformed, breakthroughs in archery, wrestling, golf, boxing, hockey, and cricket showcased a broadening sporting base. The performance serves as a reality check on sustaining progress towards top global rankings and highlights areas for improvement in mental conditioning and preparation.
Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal secured a gold medal at the Asian Games, overcoming an Olympic champion and a significant deficit in the final bout. His victory, marked by an extraordinary comeback, has fueled his belief in contending for an Olympic medal in 2028, showcasing his fearless mindset and determination.
Indian wrestlers secured a six-medal haul, including two golds, at the Asian Games in Nagoya, overcoming injuries and form slumps. Gold medallists Aman Sehrawat and Sujeet Kalkal, along with silver winners Nitesh Siwach and Antim Panghal, and bronze medallists Deepak Punia and Sunil Kumar, are now setting their sights on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, expressing determination to bring home more glory.
Indian wrestler Nisha Dahia has transformed her mindset, moving past repeated injury setbacks and frustrations to focus on her performance at the Asian Games. After years of questioning her fate, she now embraces a mature outlook, concentrating on hard work and accepting outcomes. Her training with Japanese coach Kosei Akaishi has also enhanced her technical skills, particularly in ground wrestling, making her a more complete athlete as she aims for a major medal.
India achieved its most successful day at the Asian Games, securing 10 gold medals, 21 silver, and 29 bronze, bringing the total to 60 and improving its ranking to seventh. Compound archers swept all team golds, including an Olympic quota, while trap shooters Neeru Dhanda and Kynan Chenai also won mixed gold. Boxing and wrestling added bronze medals, and the women's hockey team reached the final, assuring at least a silver.
Lalit advances to the gold medal match at the Asian Wrestling Championships, while Aman and Sunil Kumar will compete for bronze medals.
Asian Games silver medallist Deepak Punia showcased his dominance at the National Open Ranking Tournament, reaching the 92kg final without conceding a point. The event faced logistical challenges due to high participation, with weigh-ins delayed and medal rounds postponed.
India's para track and field athletes delivered a stellar performance at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games, securing six medals, including three gold, on the opening day of athletics competitions. Long jumper Nishad Kumar, javelin thrower Rinku Hooda, and visually impaired middle-distance runner Soumya each won gold in their respective events, contributing to India's strong start.
The Indian women's wrestling contingent achieved significant success at the U-20 World Wrestling Championship in Bratislava, securing three medals. Mansi Lather earned a silver medal in the 68kg category, while Tanvi Magdum (57kg) and Komal (59kg) each contributed with bronze medals, showcasing India's growing prowess in junior wrestling.
Sakshi Malik supports Vinesh Phogat's wrestling comeback, criticising the WFI's strict rules and urging for relaxed norms for new mothers in sports.
India is set to field a strong contingent at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, with key athletes like PV Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu, and Lovlina Borgohain leading the charge to defend titles in cricket, kabaddi, and men's hockey.
Indian women wrestlers Hansika Lamba and Neha won bronze medals, while Meenakshi Goyat advanced to the final at the Senior Asian Wrestling Championships.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has implemented a new two-stage trial system for the 2026 Senior World Championships. This policy allows wrestlers participating in the Asian Games to also compete for a spot in the World Championships team through a "final trial," addressing the overlap between the two major events. The first phase of trials is scheduled for September 14-15, with specific provisions for certain weight categories and U23 championships.
If India's medal tally ultimately falls significantly short of Hangzhou, the conversation should not stop with the athletes or coaches. It should extend to a much more uncomfortable institutional question: After years of increased investment, programmes, infrastructure and policy attention, where exactly is the system failing to convert that investment into medals, champions and depth across sports? asks Jaydeep Ray.
The Delhi High Court has refused to grant wrestler Vinesh Phogat an interim exemption to participate in the women's selection trials for the 2026 Senior World Championships. The court stated that eligibility criteria apply uniformly to all athletes and granting an interim relief to Phogat, who recently returned from maternity leave, would lead to unequal treatment without a full adjudication of the policy's validity. Phogat had sought to challenge the Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) circular on eligibility, arguing it unfairly excludes athletes returning from maternity.
The Asian Games, a major multi-sport event, has a long history of controversies extending beyond the sporting arena. From diplomatic disputes and selection rows to doping scandals and disputed decisions, these incidents have often highlighted the intersection of politics, national interests, and sports.
India concluded the Asian Wrestling Championships with a total of 17 medals, including two gold, six silver, and nine bronze. Aman Sehrawat secured a silver medal in the men's freestyle 61kg category, while Mukul Dahiya also claimed silver in the 86kg category.
Indian Greco Roman wrestlers secured a silver and two bronze medals at the 2026 Senior Asian Wrestling Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, bringing India's total to five medals. Nitesh won silver in the 97kg category, while Sachin Sahrawat and Prince claimed bronze in the 67kg and 82kg categories respectively.
The Delhi High Court has urged the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to establish clear guidelines and timelines for female athletes returning to competitive sports after maternity leave. The court's observations came during a hearing for grappler Vinesh Phogat, who is seeking permission to participate in selection trials for the 2026 Senior World Championships after her maternity break. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma highlighted the unfairness faced by women athletes post-childbirth and criticised the WFI's current policies, hinting at the need for a balanced framework.
Young Indian shooters Himanshu Dhillon and Rudrankksh Patil secured individual silver and bronze medals respectively in the men's 10m air rifle event at the Asian Games. They also combined with Parth Mane to win a team silver, contributing significantly to India's medal tally in shooting.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has issued a show-cause notice to Vinesh Phogat, citing indiscipline and anti-doping rule violations, rendering her ineligible for domestic competitions until June 2026.
