India win two golds at Asian Games 2026 as Dhanda sets record, women's 4x400m extend streak
India won two gold medals at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya on Tuesday, September 29, taking top honours in the women's 4x400m relay and the women's individual trap.
Neeru Dhanda broke the Asian Games record in the women’s individual trap, and the Indian women’s 4x400m quartet continued a medal run that has been ongoing since 1982. The relay triumph came in the penultimate event of the day, while Dhanda's win capped a day of strong performances across Indian disciplines.
The women's 4x400m team beat favourites and Games record holders Bahrain to claim gold; Tamil Nadu's Vithya Ramraj won her third medal in Aichi-Nagoya alongside teammates Prachi, Poovamma Machettira and Kiran. India have taken a medal in this event at every Asian Games since 1982, and the 2026 squad preserved that streak.
Neeru Dhanda secured India’s second gold of the day in the women’s individual trap, scoring 28/30 in the final to surpass the previous Asian Games record of 24 and delivering India’s first-ever individual women's shotgun medal. The 26-year-old had topped the qualification charts and, earlier on the same day, combined with Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer to win silver in the team event; the men's shotgun team finished fifth. It was India’s fifth gold at the Asian Games 2026.
India also collected bronzes in the men’s 4x400m relay and the mixed 4x100m relay. Pooja Singh took bronze in the women's high jump after leading for much of the competition, and Gulveer Singh added a third medal to his haul with a third-place finish in the men's 5000m final.
Indian archers and boxers advanced through early rounds: Ankush Panghal beat world champion Fazliddin Erkinboev in the semifinals of the men's 80kg, Parveen Hooda defeated her Chinese opponent 5-0 to reach the women's 65kg final, and Narender Berwal settled for bronze in the men's 90+kg after a semifinal defeat. Both Parveen and Ankush would want to win gold to increase India’s tally of yellow metals.
In recurve archery, Dhiraj Bommadevara and Neeraj Chauhan qualified for the men's quarterfinals and Kumkum Mohod progressed in the women's event. Tennis singles players advanced through second-round matches, the men's doubles pair Anirudh Chandrashekhar and Balaji Narayanaswamy won their second-round match, and the Indian women's squash team beat Iran 3-0. The men's volleyball side came from 2-0 down to defeat Qatar for their third win and finished top of Pool C.
Track cycling and canoe slalom produced progression for Indian cyclists into the next rounds, while results in kurash and surfing were described as disappointing.
India leave Day 10 with two golds — Neeru Dhanda in women's trap and the women's 4x400m quartet of Vithya Ramraj, Prachi, Poovamma Machettira and Kiran — and the men's volleyball team will face Pakistan in a quarter-final clash after topping Pool C; Parveen Hooda has reached the women's 65kg final and Ankush Panghal won his men's 80kg semifinal, with both remaining in contention for gold.
