Asian Games 2026 preview: India aim to build on record Hangzhou haul in Aichi-Nagoya

India will look to build on their record-breaking medal haul at Hangzhou 2023 when the 20th Asian Games get underway in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday (September 19), with a strong contingent featuring Olympic medallists and reigning champions across several disciplines.

The Games will run from September 19 to October 4, with athletes from 45 countries and regions competing across 43 sports and 469 medal events. Japan will host the continental multi-sport event for the third time, having previously staged it in Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994, according to Olympics.com.

India finished fourth in the Hangzhou medal standings with 107 medals, including 28 gold, 38 silver and 41 bronze, and will be aiming to maintain that momentum in Japan.

The Indian contingent will feature five individual Olympic medallists despite the withdrawal of defending javelin throw champion Neeraj Chopra due to an ankle injury. PV Sindhu will spearhead the badminton campaign, while Mirabai Chanu leads the weightlifting contingent. Shooting will feature Manu Bhaker, Lovlina Borgohain will compete in boxing, and Aman Sehrawat will represent India in wrestling.
India’s boxers will arrive after a record-breaking Commonwealth Games campaign, where they secured 10 medals, including seven gold.

Athletics is expected to be a major part of India’s campaign, with more than 70 track and field athletes set to compete. Gulveer Singh, Tejaswin Shankar and Olympian Sarvesh Kushare are among the names to watch, while Tajinderpal Singh Toor will aim to extend his dominance in the shot put after winning the title at the previous two editions.

India will also seek to defend its men’s and women’s titles in cricket and kabaddi, along with the men’s hockey crown.

In men’s cricket, Shreyas Iyer will lead the title defence in the T20 competition, with teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also included in the squad. The women’s team, also defending champions, will be led by T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur.

Hockey will carry added significance, with the men’s and women’s tournaments serving as qualification events for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The winners of both competitions will secure direct Olympic qualification.

India will also have opportunities to earn LA 2028 quota places in archery, sailing, squash, surfing and tennis.

In squash, young Anahat Singh will return after contributing to India’s women’s team bronze at Hangzhou 2023. She also won a mixed doubles bronze alongside Abhay Singh, and will be among the players expected to feature prominently in India’s campaign.

The Aichi-Nagoya Games will introduce several sports and disciplines, including mixed martial arts, padel, surfing, virtual taekwondo and teqball. Esports and breaking, which made their Asian Games medal debuts in Hangzhou, will also feature.

Competition will be spread across Aichi Prefecture and other parts of Japan, with events taking place in cities including Tokyo and Osaka. The Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium will serve as the main arena.

China, which has topped the Asian Games medal table at every edition since 1982, will seek to continue its run after winning a record 201 gold medals at Hangzhou. Hosts Japan finished second there with 52 gold medals, followed by South Korea with 42.

The Asian Games will begin on September 19, although some competitions, including men’s basketball, started earlier.

(ANI)

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