India’s Asian Games campaign ends with 85 medals and several historic firsts

India finished fourth at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with 85 medals, including 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze. Cricket, hockey, archery, wrestling and athletics produced major successes, while several athletes scripted historic firsts and secured Olympic quotas

Aichi-Nagoya: With gold medals in cricket and hockey, along with strong performances in archery, boxing and athletics, India concluded its Asian Games 2026 campaign in fourth place on the medals table with 85 medals, falling short of its record haul at Hangzhou three years ago.

About 500 Indian athletes took part in the 20th edition of the continental multisport event in Aichi-Nagoya, with India finishing with 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze medals.

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India’s total was its second-highest ever at the Asian Games, behind the record 107 medals won by a 650-member Indian contingent at Hangzhou 2023. At Hangzhou, India secured 28 gold, 38 silver and 41 bronze medals.

In Aichi-Nagoya, athletics was India’s leading source of medals, contributing 24, while shooting secured 15, including three gold medals. In terms of gold medals, archery led the way with five, while boxing also won three golds.

Lovlina Borgohain was among India’s boxers to win a gold medal, becoming the second Indian woman to achieve the feat after Mary Kom at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. Aman Sehrawat and Sujeet Kalkal were crowned champions in wrestling.

India also enjoyed a successful campaign in team sports. The men’s and women’s cricket teams defended their titles at the Asian Games, beating Pakistan and Sri Lanka, respectively, in the finals. Both the men’s and women’s kabaddi teams won gold medals, while India’s women’s hockey team ended its 44-year wait for an Asian Games title.

History was also made by several athletes in Japan.

Pranavi Urs won the first gold medal for an Indian woman in golf at the Asian Games, while 17-year-old Kumkum Mohod became the first Indian woman to win individual recurve gold at the continental event.

Mohod was also part of the Indian women’s recurve team that won gold, alongside Ankita Bhakat and Kirti Sharma. The trio became the first Indian women’s team to win the recurve title at the Games.

Neeru Dhanda won India’s first individual gold medal of the event in the women’s trap competition, while Kumkum Mohod and Suruchi Singh matched Asian records as they secured gold in the mixed-team 10m air pistol event.

Vithya Ramraj won a bronze medal after breaking a national record in the women’s 400m hurdles that had stood for 42 years, while Yash Vir Singh and Rohit Yadav finished on the podium in the men’s javelin, with Singh taking silver and Yadav bronze. Neeraj Chopra was unable to take part in the Games due to injury.

Sawan Barwal secured India’s first marathon medal since 1982 and also set a national record, while Sarvesh Kushare ended India’s 56-year wait for a men’s high jump medal. Baranica Elangovan also made history by becoming the first Indian pole vaulter to win a medal at the Asian Games.

The country’s campaign also included a number of firsts in various sports, with Suchika Tariyal securing India’s first Asian Games medal in mixed martial arts and Jay Meena achieving the same feat in soft tennis by reaching the semifinals. Suchika’s historic MMA medal has also been officially described as India’s first in the discipline at the Asian Games.

Mirabai Chanu secured a silver medal in the women’s 49kg weightlifting event — her first at the continental event — ending India’s 28-year wait for an Asian Games weightlifting medal. Roshibina Devi won her third consecutive continental medal in wushu, while Seema Kumari ended India’s 16-year wait for a women’s 10,000m medal.

Anahat Singh became the first Indian woman to win a silver medal in the singles event at the Asian Games, while both Anahat and Abhay Singh finished runners-up in their respective singles events.

India also secured Olympic quota places for the 2028 Los Angeles Games in archery and hockey. The seven sports offering Olympic quotas at Aichi-Nagoya were archery, hockey, sailing, squash, surfing, tennis and triathlon.

By securing quota places in both the men’s and women’s hockey events, as well as in the compound mixed-team and women’s individual recurve events in archery, India added an Olympic dimension to its Asian Games campaign.

India ended its campaign below its record-breaking showing at Hangzhou, finishing with 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze medals. However, the campaign featured several historic firsts, record-breaking performances and successful title defences.

India’s best haul came on Friday, when it claimed 12 medals, including six golds, three of them in boxing. On Saturday, the 17th and penultimate day, India bagged nine medals, winning gold in cricket and hockey and adding to the gold medals won by its women’s teams. Aman Sehrawat, Kumkum Anil Mohod and golfer Pranavi Urs also claimed gold medals in individual events.

The men’s cricket team held its nerve to beat Pakistan by 19 runs in the final and retain the gold medal. Kumkum Anil Mohod scripted history with India’s first-ever women’s individual recurve gold, while Aman Sehrawat powered his way to wrestling gold, Antim Panghal secured silver and Deepak Punia added bronze.

Pranavi Sharath Urs made history by winning the first gold by an Indian female golfer in the women’s individual event, while India’s women’s team added a historic silver. Neeraj Chauhan completed an all-Indian podium moment with a bronze medal.