India's medal hopes for Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games rest on shooting, boxing and archery despite key absences

MC Mary Kom is the only Indian woman boxer to have won more than one medal in the Asian Games. (Right) Ojas Pravin Deotale claimed three gold in Hangzhou, but will be missing in action in Aichi-Nagoya.

NEW DELHI: India’s Asian Games stories are often written in gold, silver and bronze. But behind the numbers lies a more compelling narrative: the stillness of a shooter before the trigger breaks, the controlled fury of a boxer inside the ropes, and the unblinking concentration of an archer waiting for the perfect release. As Aichi-Nagoya approaches, these three disciplines once again stand at the heart of India’s medal ambitions. Shooting has evolved from a promising pursuit into one of the country’s most dependable continental medal engines. Maharaja Karni Singh’s silver in the clay pigeon trap at Tehran in 1974 marked India’s first Asian Games medal in shooting. Decades later, the sport’s legacy is carried by names such as the late Jaspal Rana, whose pistol dominance defined multiple editions, and Abhinav Bindra, whose Olympic triumph helped elevate Indian marksmanship to a global stage. The watershed moment came at Hangzhou in 2023. Indian shooters collected a record 22 medals — seven gold, nine silver and six bronze — across rifle, pistol and shotgun events. The campaign was a statement of depth as much as excellence. Divyansh Singh Panwar, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Rudrankksh Patil combined for a world-record-setting team gold in the men’s 10m air rifle, while Sift Kaur Samra and Palak Gulia added individual gold. Aichi-Nagoya brings a 30-member squad, evenly divided between men and women, with Manu Bhaker at its centre. The double Olympic medallist’s presence gives the pistol section a formidable edge, alongside Esha Singh and veteran Rahi Sarnobat. Rifle fire power comes from Rudrankksh and Elavenil Valarivan, while Kynan Chenai leads the shotgun challenge. The target is not simply to repeat Hangzhou, but to prove that India’s shooting bench has become deep enough to sustain success. But the new campaign also carries a reminder that past glory guarantees nothing. Sift Kaur, Swapnil Kusale and Sarabjot Singh, the Hangzhou gold medallists in pistol and rifle events, are among the notable names missing from the squad. Their absence underlines the intensity of selection and the changing nature of India’s shooting bench. From the firing line, the narrative moves to the ring, where precision must survive pressure, punches and the judgment of three rounds. Indian boxing’s Asian Games journey began with medals for Sundar Rao and Hari Singh in 1958. Hawa Singh’s consecutive heavyweight golds in 1966 and 1970 established an early standard; Mary Kom’s 2014 triumph made her the first Indian woman to win Asian Games boxing gold, while Amit Panghal’s 2018 victory remains India’s most recent men’s gold. The numbers underline both achievement and unfinished business: nine gold, 17 silver and 35 bronze medals, according to the historical tally supplied for India’s boxing record. Hangzhou yielded five medals — one silver and four bronze — but Aichi-Nagoya arrives after a stirring Commonwealth Games campaign in Glasgow, where Indian boxers won seven gold and three silver. Yet the Asian Games will be a much sterner examination. Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, China, Japan and North Korea bring the continent’s deepest boxing traditions. As Boxing Federation of India president Ajay Singh put it, the Asian Games are “like the Olympics”. The test is whether India’s recent resurgence can withstand the very best. Lovlina Borgohain carries experience and authority. Alongside her, Sakshi Chaudhary, Preeti Pawar, Priya Ghanghas and Sachin Siwach represent a generation that has already tasted success. The challenge is to convert momentum into medals when every bout is a continental crossroads.

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And then comes archery, where India’s rise has been astonishingly swift. However, the game will have its absences in 2026. Ojas Pravin Deotale, who won three golds at Hangzhou has missed selection. The omission of established names such as Atanu Das, Deepika Kumari and Abhishek Verma further highlights the changing landscape. The three sports share a common demand: the ability to remain composed when the moment becomes enormous. A trigger, a punch and an arrow may seem worlds apart, yet each discipline has the firepower to swell India’s medal tally under the brightest continental spotlight.

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