India spent ₹702.86 crore preparing athletes for Asian Games 2026 in Aichi‑Nagoya
India's Sports Ministry has spent ₹702.86 crore preparing its athletes for the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi‑Nagoya, Japan, which begin on Saturday, September 19. The Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) contributed an additional ₹97.84 crore toward athlete preparations.
The ministry said the ₹702.86 crore was spent primarily under its annual competition and training calendar and covered training, equipment support and the hiring of coaches and experts. Of the total outlay, the largest single allocation — ₹251.4 crore — went to international competition exposure while ₹118.3 crore was earmarked for domestic training.
TOPS also ensured the inclusion of sports science staff with physiotherapists, mental health experts and doctors named in the contingent and as part of travelling teams. “Every team has women’s support staff. One third of the authorised support staff is from sports sciences. These are the little things we have worked on to ensure balance in the contingents,” NS Johal (TOPS CEO) was quoted as saying by PTI during a media interaction session. “It took us a while to come out with the contingent list because some federations had not named enough women support staff.”
Several members of the Indian squad are making their Asian Games debuts, including some teenagers; with cricket returning to the Games, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, aged 15, will be the youngest athlete in the contingent. Other young athletes named include judoka Syndrela Das (17) and squash player Anahat Singh (18). “There is good momentum across disciplines, and the contingent features a lot of debutants, which is, as TOPS CEO, a very proud thing for me. The gestation period in sport is high, and when young athletes can enter the top level early, it is a very good sign for the future,” he added.
Johal acknowledged administrative challenges with some federations but said coordination efforts continued, with the ‘Target Asian Games Group’ holding nine meetings to prepare the teams. “The biggest takeaway has been that despite everything that goes on, the focus has not wavered from the athletes. We have 65 athletes in the contingent who have come through Khelo India, which is our baseline sports system,” he added. India will field 503 athletes at the Aichi‑Nagoya Games, supported by 265 staff members across 36 disciplines; the 265‑member support staff includes 56 women, accounting for around 22% of the total contingent.
“In the end, the performance has to come from athletes. We have tried our best. As I said, the momentum is good, and the younger lot is carrying this momentum,” Johal said. India won 107 medals (28 gold, 38 silver, and 41 bronze) at the 2022 Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China, and the Aichi‑Nagoya event opens on Saturday, September 19, in Aichi‑Nagoya, Japan.
