Asian Games 2026: 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was India’s youngest medalist; do you know who was the oldest?

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Mairaj Ahmad Khan The 2026 Asian Games were held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan from September 19 to October 4, with athletes from 46 countries competing across a variety of sports. India finished fourth in the medal table with 85 medals, including 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze.India enjoyed some memorable performances, with the men’s and women’s teams winning gold medals in cricket, kabaddi and hockey. It was also the first time that both Indian hockey teams won gold at the same Asian Games.Among the outstanding individual performers was 17-year-old archer Kumkum Mohod, who became the first Indian woman to win individual recurve gold.She finished the Games with two golds and a silver. Pranavi Urs also created history by winning India’s first individual golf gold, while Neeru Dhanda became the country’s first gold medalist in trap shooting.

Vaibhav becomes India’s youngest medalist

At just 15, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became India’s youngest Asian Games gold medalist. The teenage batting sensation was part of the Indian men’s cricket team that beat Pakistan by 19 runs in the final to win the gold.Sooryavanshi started aggressively, hitting two consecutive sixes before being dismissed for 15 off nine balls by Saim Ayub. Despite his early exit, India won the final and secured a memorable gold medal.

Mairaj makes history at 50 years old

Two-time Olympian Mairaj Ahmad Khan became India’s oldest medalist at the 2026 Asian Games at the age of 50. He won the bronze in men’s skeet shooting alongside Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Bhavteg Singh Gill.Khan has been competing internationally for over 20 years and is a three-time ISSF World Cup gold medalist. However, the bronze in Aichi-Nagoya was his first Asian Games medal.Overall, 11-year-old Japanese eSports player Yuki Kurihara became the youngest gold medalist in Asian Games history after winning the Puyo Puyo Champions title. The oldest ever medalist was Kuwait’s 63-year-old shooter Abdullah Al-Rashidi, who won silver in the men’s skeet.