India win 85 medals at 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya

India’s athletes competed at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4 and finished the meet with 85 medals.

India sent a contingent of 503 athletes — 269 men and 234 women — across 36 sporting disciplines, and the team put up a strong showing over the course of the Games. The total fell short of the 106 medals India claimed at the 2023 Asian Games, when the country recorded 28 gold, 38 silver and 40 bronze.

The 85-medal haul comprised 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze, with notable results coming in athletics, shooting and the newly introduced mixed martial arts events. Medals were won across a wide range of individual sports, specifically shooting, boxing, squash, mixed martial arts, soft tennis, weightlifting, wushu, kurash, wrestling and athletics. The spread reflected contributions from both established and regionally prominent events.

Among the youngest medallists were 18-year-old Anahat Singh of Delhi, who took silver in women’s singles squash, and 19-year-old Pooja from Haryana, who won bronze in the women’s high jump. Young competitors also figured in team competitions. Several 18- and 19-year-olds were listed among India’s medal winners.

Eighteen-year-olds Tilottama Sen (Karnataka), Krithika Pradeep and Parth Rakesh Mane (both from Maharashtra), and 19-year-old Abhinaya Rajarajan (Tamil Nadu) were named among the medal winners. Sen and Mane were members of silver-winning shooting teams, Pradeep secured two gold medals in archery, and Rajarajan earned a medal as part of the 100m relay team.

Since the early 2000s India has steadily strengthened its position among Asia’s sporting nations, narrowing the gap with China, Japan and Iran while moving ahead of rivals such as Taiwan. India has remained among the continent’s top 10 sporting nations since 2002. A total of 45 countries competed at the 2026 Asian Games, including neighbours Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Shooting and athletics have been among the biggest contributors to India’s medal totals in recent Asian Games editions, and boxing and wrestling have also produced significant medal hauls over the years. The accompanying chart traces India’s medal distribution across sports and editions, including 2026, to show which disciplines have shaped the country’s results.

India finished the 2026 Asian Games in fourth place on the overall standings. China, Japan and South Korea occupied the top three positions.