Asian Games 2026 (Reuters Photo)
India signed off from the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya with a strong fourth-place finish, winning 85 medals, including 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze. While India fell short of its record-breaking 106-medal haul at the Hangzhou Asian Games, the Aichi-Nagoya campaign was marked by a late surge, several historic firsts and dominant performances in sports such as athletics, shooting, archery, boxing and team events. Around 500 Indian athletes competed at the continental multi-sport event, with the country eventually finishing among the top five in the medal standings.
India’s sport-wise medal tally at Asian Games 2026
Here is the complete sport-wise medal tally for India at the Asian Games 2026:
SportGoldSilverBronzeTotalArchery5229Shooting38415Boxing3036Wrestling2226Cricket2002Hockey2002Kabaddi2002Athletics191424Golf1102Squash0235Sailing0123Weightlifting0101Wushu0101Badminton0011Kurash0011Mixed Martial Arts0011Rowing0011Sepaktakraw0011Soft Tennis0011Table Tennis0011TOTAL21273785
India’s biggest gold-medal contributors
Archery led the gold-medal standings with five golds. Shooting and boxing followed with three gold medals each, while wrestling contributed two. India also won two gold medals apiece in cricket, hockey and kabaddi, with both men's and women's teams contributing to the country's strong finish.
85 medals across 21 sports
India's medals came across 21 sports, demonstrating the breadth of its performance at the continental event. Alongside the major medal-winning disciplines, India also secured podium finishes in weightlifting, wushu, badminton, kurash, mixed martial arts, rowing, sepaktakraw, soft tennis and table tennis. The 85-medal haul was India's second-highest ever at the Asian Games, behind the record 106 medals won at Hangzhou 2023. India's final tally of 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze medals secured the country a fourth-place finish in the overall medal standings.
Athletics leads India’s medal charge
Athletics was the backbone of India's medal campaign, producing a wide range of podium finishes across track and field events. India won gold in the women's 4x400m relay, while athletes also collected medals in the 10,000m, 1500m, marathon, shot put, long jump, high jump, javelin throw, pole vault, 400m hurdles, 5000m, 3000m steeplechase, 200m, decathlon and relay events. Gulveer Singh was among India's standout performers, winning silver in the men's 10,000m and 1500m events and bronze in the 5000m. Sawan Berwal won silver in the men's marathon, becoming India's first marathon medallist at the Asian Games since 1982 while also setting a national record. Sarvesh Kushare ended India's 56-year wait for a men's high jump medal, while Baranica Elangovan created history by becoming the first Indian pole vaulter to win an Asian Games medal. Vithya Ramraj added another landmark performance by winning bronze in the women's 400m hurdles and breaking a national record that had stood for 42 years.
Shooting delivers 15 medals
Shooting once again played a major role in India's Asian Games campaign, contributing 15 medals, including three golds. Neeru Dhanda won India's first individual gold medal of the Games in the women's trap competition. She later combined with Kynan Chenai to win gold in the mixed trap event. Kamaljeet and Suruchi Singh also won gold in the mixed team 10m air pistol event, matching the Asian record. India's shooters also collected medals in the 10m air rifle, 50m rifle 3P, 25m pistol, trap and skeet events.
Archery produces five gold medals
Archery was India's most successful sport in terms of gold medals, with five titles. Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Prithika Pradeep and Chikitha Taniparthi won gold in the women's compound team event, while Chikitha Taniparthi and Sahil Jadhav claimed the mixed compound team title. Sahil Jadhav, Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru and Kushal Dalal won the men's compound team gold. The women's recurve team of Ankita Bhakat, Kumkum Mohod and Kirti Sharma also finished on top. Kumkum then produced one of the defining moments of the Games by winning India's first-ever women's individual recurve gold medal at the Asian Games.
Boxing delivers three gold medals
India enjoyed a strong showing in boxing, winning three gold medals. Lovlina Borgohain became only the second Indian woman to win an Asian Games boxing gold, following Mary Kom's historic achievement at the 2014 Incheon Games. Parveen Hooda and Ankush Panghal also won gold medals in their respective categories. India added bronze medals through Narender Berwal, Priya Ghanghas and Kapil Pokhariya.
Wrestling adds two gold medals
India's wrestlers also made their mark in Aichi-Nagoya. Aman Sehrawat won gold in the men's 57kg category, while Sujeet Kalkal became champion in the men's 65kg event. Nitesh Kumar and Antim Panghal won silver medals, while Sunil Kumar and Deepak Punia added bronze medals.
Cricket and hockey provide golden finish
India's team sports produced a spectacular late surge. The men's and women's cricket teams successfully defended their Asian Games titles. The men's team defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the final, while the women's team beat Sri Lanka to retain the gold medal. Hockey also delivered two gold medals. The Indian women's hockey team ended a 44-year wait for an Asian Games title, while the men's team, led by Harmanpreet Singh, completed its campaign with a commanding 5-1 victory over Malaysia in the final. The men's hockey gold was India's 21st gold medal of the Games and sealed the country's fourth-place finish.
Historic gold for Pranavi Urs
Golf produced another landmark moment for India. Pranavi Urs won the women's individual gold medal, becoming the first Indian woman to win an Asian Games gold in golf. India also won silver in the women's team event through Pranavi Urs, Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar.
Mirabai Chanu wins first Asian Games medal
Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu claimed silver in the women's 49kg weightlifting event. It was her first Asian Games medal and ended India's wait for a medal in the sport since the 1998 Bangkok Games. Wushu athlete Roshibina Devi also continued her impressive continental run by winning her third consecutive Asian Games medal, taking silver in the women's 60kg sanda event.
Squash stars add to India’s medal haul
India's squash contingent also delivered multiple podium finishes. Abhay Singh and Anahat Singh won silver in the men's and women's singles events respectively. Anahat's silver made her the first Indian woman to win a singles silver medal in squash at the Asian Games. India also won bronze medals in mixed doubles and the men's and women's team events.
Several firsts for India
The Aichi-Nagoya campaign was notable not just for the medal count but also for the number of historic achievements. Kumkum Mohod became the first Indian woman to win individual recurve gold at the Asian Games. Pranavi Urs became the first Indian woman to win an Asian Games golf gold. Suchika Tariyal secured India's first Asian Games medal in mixed martial arts, while Jay Meena became the country's first Asian Games medallist in soft tennis after reaching the men's singles semifinals. India also ended long medal droughts in several athletics disciplines.
Olympic qualification adds another dimension
India's success in Aichi-Nagoya also carried significance for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. India secured Olympic quotas through its performances in archery and hockey. The Asian Games offered Olympic qualification opportunities in seven sports — archery, hockey, sailing, squash, surfing, tennis and triathlon. India secured places in both men's and women's hockey as well as in archery's compound mixed team and women's individual recurve events.
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India fall short of Hangzhou record but finish strongly
India's 85-medal haul was 21 medals fewer than its record 106 at Hangzhou, while the gold-medal count dropped from 28 to 21. However, the final standings did not tell the entire story of India's campaign. As recently as Thursday, India had only 10 gold medals and was outside the top 10 of the medal table. A remarkable late surge changed the complexion of the campaign. India won 12 medals on Friday, including six golds, before adding nine medals on the penultimate day. Gold medals in cricket and hockey, along with individual triumphs in wrestling, archery and golf, propelled India into the top five. The final tally of 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze medals ensured another top-five Asian Games finish and capped a campaign defined by historic firsts, successful title defences and a powerful finish. India may have fallen short of the Hangzhou record, but Aichi-Nagoya 2026 will be remembered as another landmark Asian Games campaign for Indian sport.
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