The 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, have entered an action-packed phase, with Indian athletes competing across shooting, MMA, cricket, hockey, kabaddi, badminton, boxing and several other sports. The Asian Games 2026 India campaign has already produced important moments, with the country opening its medal account in shooting and adding another historic medal in MMA.
India Makes a Strong Start in Shooting
India opened its medal account through the women’s 10m air rifle events. Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod won silver in the team competition, while Elavenil also secured silver in the individual event. These performances gave India two medals on the opening day of competition.
The shooting campaign continued strongly on September 21. India secured another silver in the men’s 10m air rifle team event, while Rudrankksh Patil and Himanshu Dhillon also reached the individual final.
Historic MMA Medal for India
Another major development came from MMA. Suchika Tariyal secured India’s first-ever MMA medal at the Asian Games after reaching the women’s traditional 60kg semifinals. She eventually took bronze after losing her semifinal against Singapore’s Hui Hoon Teo.
Her medal is particularly notable because MMA is making its Asian Games debut at Aichi-Nagoya. The sport is among several disciplines introduced to the Asian Games programme this year.
Cricket Team Reaches the Final
India’s women’s cricket team has also made headlines. The defending champions defeated Bangladesh by 114 runs in the semifinal, with Shafali Verma scoring an unbeaten century from 49 balls. India will face Sri Lanka in the final on Tuesday.
The result adds another important medal opportunity to India’s campaign and keeps cricket among the major talking points from the Games.
Busy Schedule for Indian Athletes
September 21 features a packed schedule for the Indian contingent. Kabaddi teams begin their campaigns, while hockey, badminton, boxing, table tennis, swimming, shooting and other sports are also on the programme.
The men’s kabaddi team begins its campaign against Japan, while the women’s team faces Bangladesh later in the day. India’s hockey teams are also in action, and the badminton contingent continues its campaign in the team events.
What to Watch Next
With several medal events still ahead, the Indian contingent has opportunities across multiple disciplines. Shooting has already produced several medals, while MMA has created a new milestone. Cricket has also guaranteed another medal opportunity through the women’s final.
The ongoing Asian Games 2026 India campaign therefore remains one of the key stories for Indian sports fans, with daily results and medal events continuing to shape the country’s performance in Aichi-Nagoya.
Also visit us: You+Me – Against the World: From Popular Books to a New Prime Video Film
