PM Modi congratulates the medal winners of the 2026 Asian Games in Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Asian Games medalists in India on Thursday, October 15, following the country’s campaign at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Games in Japan, where the contingent finished fourth with 85 medals, including 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze.

India retained its fourth spot from the Hangzhou 2023 Games, but its medal tally dropped by 21 from the previous year’s record 106 medals. The campaign featured strong performances in archery, wrestling and boxing, along with gold medals in hockey, cricket and kabaddi.

India’s campaign picked up steam towards the end of the Games, with a late surge of gold medals helping the country climb the rankings.

The results pointed to successes in individual and team competitions, although some disciplines saw a decline compared to the previous year.

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ARCHERY, MATCH LEAD BY INDIVIDUAL MEDAL PERFORMANCES

Archery has been among India’s most successful disciplines, producing nine medals, including five gold, two silver and two bronze. Indian archers have also recorded significant success in recurve events, including historic performances in the women’s individual and team competitions.

Wrestling contributed six medals with Indian athletes winning two gold, two silver and two bronze. The results added to India’s total and marked a strong showing in the discipline.

Boxing also brought home six medals, including three gold and three bronze. The gold medal performances helped India maintain its position among the leading nations in the sport.

HOCKEY, CRICKET AND KABADDI DELIVER GOLD

Team sports played a key role in India’s gold medal tally. Both the men’s and women’s hockey teams won gold, marking a significant achievement for Indian hockey. The men beat Malaysia 5-1 in the final, while the women beat China 1-0.

India also secured gold medals in both men’s and women’s cricket. The women’s team beat Sri Lanka in the final, while the men beat Pakistan to win the title.

Kabaddi added two more gold medals, with both the men’s and women’s teams winning their individual finals. These results underlined India’s strength in many team sports.

ATHLETICS AND SHOOTING CONTRIBUTED 39 MEDALS

Athletics was India’s largest medal contributor by volume, accounting for 24 medals, including one gold, nine silver and 14 bronze. Gulveer Singh was among the standout performers, winning silver in the 10,000m and 1,500m and bronze in the 5,000m.

Shooting contributed 15 medals, including three gold, eight silver and four bronze. However, India’s tally in the event was lower than the 22 medals won at the Hangzhou Games.

Athletics and shooting together account for 39 of India’s 85 medals, although results in both disciplines also highlighted areas where the country will look to improve ahead of future international competitions.

MIXED RESULTS IN BADMINTON, TENNIS AND EDUCATION

India’s campaign also featured setbacks in some disciplines. The badminton contingent failed to win an individual medal, although India secured bronze overall in the sport. Tennis, meanwhile, finished without a medal, according to the campaign summary.

Weightlifting provided a notable highlight with Mirabai Chanu winning silver in the women’s 49kg category.

The result ended India’s 28-year wait for an Asian Games weightlifting medal.

India’s 85-medal campaign combined the performance milestone with a drop from the record tally in Hangzhou.

While the fourth position maintained the country’s position among Asia’s leading sporting nations, the results in athletics, shooting and other disciplines will offer areas for assessment as India prepares for future international competitions.

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