India's 15 biggest medal contenders at Asian Games 2026
India’s delegation at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, which began on September 19, includes a group of athletes identified as the country’s top medal hopes, though star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra withdrew after tearing an ankle ligament in training. The list highlights competitors across shooting, archery, athletics, badminton, wrestling, weightlifting and squash.
India has sent a 503-strong contingent to the Asian Games 2026 and will aim to match or better its record haul of 106 medals from the Hangzhou Asian Games. Medal prospects are concentrated in several disciplines, with shooting accounting for a large portion of India’s past golds and athletics producing the most medals in Hangzhou.
Shooting remains a focal point after India won seven of its 28 gold medals in that sport at Hangzhou; Manu Bhaker’s inclusion gives the team an experienced performer. A young Indian shooter entering the meet is currently ranked World No. 1 in the women’s 25m pistol and World No. 2 in the 10m air pistol, has World Cup experience and a World Championship bronze. Esha also enjoyed a successful campaign at Hangzhou 2022, securing two silver medals in individual events and a gold in the team event.
Archery presents multiple medal chances: Jyothi Surekha Vennam has a consistent Asiad podium record with three golds at Hangzhou 2022, a silver in Jakarta 2018 and a bronze in Incheon 2014. Dhiraj Bommadevara became the first Indian to win the Archery World Cup summit clash after clinching gold at the 2026 Antalya World Cup, and he also won a team silver at Hangzhou 2022.
On the track and in field events, Avinash Sable is a former Asian Games gold medallist who holds the national record in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase and has returned to form by winning the Indian Athletics Series Summit Clash following a lengthy injury layoff. Tajinderpal Singh Toor will attempt a third successive Asian Games gold in the men’s shot put and has added a silver at the Asian Indoor Championships since his Hangzhou victory. Parul Choudhary will contest the women’s 5,000m after backing up her Hangzhou performance with two silver medals at the 2025 Asian Championships in Gumi, and Mirabai Chanu, the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist, is targeting gold in the 49kg weightlifting category if fully fit.
Badminton and wrestling supply further prospects: PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist and former world champion, holds an Asian Games bronze (Incheon 2014) and silver (Jakarta 2018) and missed Hangzhou 2022; Lakshya Sen arrives having won silver at the previous edition. The reigning men’s doubles Asian Games champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will defend their title after also winning a World Championship bronze and playing a pivotal role in India’s Thomas Cup victory. In wrestling, Paris Olympics bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat, who won bronze at Hangzhou, aims to improve in Aichi-Nagoya while Sujeet Kalkal, selected despite earlier trial concerns, brings nine competitive gold medals and a couple of bronzes.
In combat sports and racquet sports, Lovlina Borgohain, the former world champion and Paris 2024 bronze medallist, will compete in the women’s 75kg boxing category and recently won a Commonwealth Games silver. In squash, Anahat Singh arrives after winning the Junior World Championship, holds a world ranking of 20 and is third in Asia; she has two Asiad bronze medals from Hangzhou 2023 (team and mixed doubles), won the 2025 Squash World Cup, twin golds at the 2025 Asian Championships, and junior medals including bronze and gold at the 2025 and 2026 World Junior Championships and medals at the 2025 Asian Junior Championships.
For ongoing coverage and further updates from the Asian Games 2026, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, download the Khel Now Android App or iOS App, or join their community on Whatsapp and Telegram.