Manu Bhaker and Mirabai Chanu headline India’s Asian Games 2026 medal push in Aichi-Nagoya

Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], September 27 (ANI): A packed day awaits the Indian contingent at the 2026 Asian Games on Monday, with athletes set to compete across more than a dozen disciplines as Team India looks to add to its medal tally in Aichi-Nagoya.The action begins early in the morning with surfing, archery and shooting, before a series of crucial team events, knockout contests and athletics finals dominate the d

Aichi-Nagoya [Japan]: India's Tajinderpal Singh Toor clinched the silver medal in the men's shot put final at the Asian Games 2026, producing a best throw of 20.64 metres with his fifth attempt.Toor finished behind Iran's Mohammadreza Tayebise, who claimed the gold medal with a Games Record throw of 20.81 metres.The silver adds to Toor's impressive Asian Games record. He had won gold medals at the 2018 Jakarta and 2022 Hangzhou editions before finishing second in Aichi-Nagoya.Meanwhile, Animesh Kujur booked his place in the men's 200m final after finishing second in semifinal 3 with a time of 20.81 seconds.Kujur finished behind Thailand's Puripol Boonson, who stormed to a Games Record of 20.10 seconds. The Indian sprinter bounced back strongly after missing out on the men's 100m final, securing his place in the 200m medal race.ISL 2026-27 Schedule: Opening Fixtures, New Teams, Derbies And Key DatesIndia also secured two spots in the men's 1500m final, with Gulveer Singh and Yoonus Shah advancing from their respective heats.Gulveer finished third in Heat 2 with a time of 3:45.79, while Yoonus also secured third place in Heat 1, clocking 3:45.77. Both Indian athletes will now compete in the 1500m final scheduled for the day after tomorrow.Earlier, India produced a stunning second-half comeback to defeat Iran 40-34 and clinch the gold medal in the men's kabaddi competition at the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday.India trailed Iran 17-18 at half-time but came out firing after the break, taking complete control of the contest and turning the match decisively in their favour. (Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and auto-generated from an agency feed.)

Aichi-Nagoya: Olympic medallists Manu Bhaker and Mirabai Chanu will headline India's campaign on a packed day at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya on Wednesday, with shooting, weightlifting, badminton and several other disciplines offering medal opportunities, according to Olympics.com.Another action-packed day awaits at #AsianGames2026! Team India is ready to shine as Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh and Suruchi Inder Singh take aim in the Air Pistol finals, while Mirabai Chanu and Gyaneshwari Yadav lead the charge in Weightlifting. Let’s cheer for our champions… pic.twitter.com/LnGjshk6ja— DD News (@DDNewslive) September 23, 2026 Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker will compete in the women's 10m air pistol event, aiming to add an Asian Games medal to her growing list of achievements. The Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist had missed out on an individual medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023 and will look to make a strong comeback at the continental event.Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Mirabai Chanu will also be in focus as she takes the stage in the women's 49kg weightlifting category. Chanu narrowly missed out on a medal at Hangzhou 2023, finishing fourth after an injury prevented her from completing her final clean and jerk attempt.Good luck to @mirabai_chanu Tokyo Olympics silver medallist, two-time Olympian and World Champion — as she gets ready for her Women’s 53kg Weightlifting event at Aichi-Nagoya. Watched by her coach Vijay Sharma, Mirabai targets her first Asian Games medal. #AsianGames2026… pic.twitter.com/suyrSmlX39— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) September 23, 2026 Coming into the event after winning gold at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Chanu will look to carry her momentum and secure a podium finish at the Asian Games, the only major multi-sport event where she is yet to win a medal.Shooting will provide more medal chances for India, with the skeet shooters completing their three-day qualification rounds. Anantjeet Singh Naruka will be among the shooters to watch after recovering strongly on the second day following a difficult opening round.The Indian men's badminton team will face a tough challenge against the People's Republic of China in the semi-finals. Lakshya Sen and his teammates secured a medal for India after defeating Japan in the quarter-finals and will now aim to book a place in the gold medal match.Asian Games 2026: Double Olympic Medallist Manu Bhaker Qualifies For Women's 10m Air Pistol Final In 3rd Place Squash will also begin its campaign at Aichi-Nagoya, with Indian players featuring in singles first-round matches. Anahat Singh, who has received a bye, will begin her campaign from Thursday. The singles events at the Asian Games serve as a qualification pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, with quotas available for the men's and women's champions.Wushu player Roshibina Devi will compete in the women's 60kg sanda semi-finals, where she is assured of winning her third individual Asian Games medal in three appearances.Indian teams will also continue their hockey and kabaddi group-stage campaigns, while boxer Ankush will compete in the men's 80kg category. Swimming will also offer medal opportunities for Indian athletes on Wednesday.With several medal contenders in action, India will look to build on its campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games as the competition enters another crucial phase. (Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

Aichi-Nagoya: India's Chef de Mission for the Asian Games 2026, Sahdev Yadav, said logistical issues concerning accommodation, transport and food have been resolved and expressed confidence that the country's athletes will add more medals to the tally in the coming days.Also Watch: Speaking to ANI on Monday, Sahdev said the country's medal tally will continue to grow, saying the strong start is "just the beginning" and backing the weightlifting contingent to deliver in the coming days.#WATCH | Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 | Nagoya, Japan: On India's medals in shooting events, Sahdev Yadav, Chef de Mission for the 2026 Asian Games, says, "It feels great. This is just the beginning; there will be a whole line of medals coming up. We have high hopes for… pic.twitter.com/dwrYLeIig9— ANI (@ANI) September 21, 2026 "It feels really good. This is just the beginning, and there will be a line of medals. Big hopes from weightlifting. Everything is fine now, and we have sorted out all arrangements, including hotels, transport, and food. There are no problems anymore," Sahdev told ANI.India enjoyed a strong day at the Asian Games 2026, securing more medals across shooting and mixed martial arts, while athletes also progressed to finals in swimming and registered wins in boxing, soft tennis and table tennis.Asian Games 2026: India Thrash Japan 49-24 In Men's Kabaddi Opener, Shine With Shooting And MMA Medals In shooting, Himanshu won silver and Rudrankksh secured bronze in the men's 10m air rifle individual final. Earlier, Rudrankksh and Himanshu had qualified for the final after finishing third and seventh respectively, while Parth Mane finished 11th. The Indian trio had also won silver in the team event.In mixed martial arts, Suchika Tariyal secured a bronze medal after losing to Singapore's Teo Hui Hoon in the women's traditional 60kg semifinal.In boxing, Sumit defeated Thailand's Bunjong Sinsiri in the men's 70kg Round of 32 bout to advance in the competition.Asian Games 2026: India Women's Hockey Team Thrash Indonesia 17-1 As Deepika Sehrawat, Rutuja Pisal Score Hat-Tricks Soft tennis saw Aadhya Tiwari and Jay Meena record wins over Cambodia and Mongolia in their mixed doubles Group B matches. They also lost to South Korea's Kim Yeon-hwa and Jaekyu Park before suffering defeat against the Philippines' Christy Sanosa and Sherwin Nuguit in the round of 16.In swimming, Srihari Nataraj advanced to the men's 50m backstroke final, with Rishabh Das named as reserve. Mani Akash and Gitesh Shah missed out on the men's 50m freestyle final, while Dhanush Suresh failed to qualify for the men's 100m breaststroke final.In wushu, Nyeman Wangsu finished 15th in the women's Changquan final. In table tennis, India defeated Pakistan 3-0 in the women's team Group F match. India, however, suffered a setback in sepaktakraw, losing to Japan in the men's team regu Group B match. (Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

Aichi-Nagoya: India began their men's kabaddi campaign at the Asian Games 2026 in dominant fashion, defeating Japan 49-24 in their opening match on Monday.Japan opened the scoring with a bonus point, but India quickly responded as Ayan Lochhab levelled the scores with a touch point. India soon took complete control of the contest. Ashu produced a superb three-point raid before India's defence successfully tackled a Japanese raider, followed by another raid point that helped India inflict their first all-out and establish an 11-2 lead. Team India Men’s Kabaddi Off to a Winning Start!As always, Team India began their 20th Asian Games campaign with a big win, defeating hosts Japan in dominant fashion. ‍♂️#TeamIndia #IndianKabaddi #AsianGames2026 #Kabaddi360 pic.twitter.com/7SrYIyKkym— Kabaddi360 (@Kabaddi_360) September 21, 2026 The Indian side continued to dominate and inflicted a second all-out to extend their advantage to 18-2. India went into half-time with a commanding 31-9 lead, with Ashu and Devank making an impact in the raiding department, while Sunil Kumar and Rahul contributed strongly in defence.India maintained their dominance after the break, with Pawan Sehrawat, Arjun Deshwal and Aslam Inamdar joining the action and adding to the team's attacking strength.Japan showed greater resistance in the second half and managed to add more than 20 points, but India remained firmly in control throughout. India eventually sealed a comprehensive 49-24 victory to make a strong start to their Asian Games campaign. Top Performances from Team India in Their Big Win Over Japan! India kicked off their Asian Games 2026 men’s Kabaddi campaign with a dominant win over hosts Japan. ‍♂️ Key performances from Team India! #AsianGames2026 #TeamIndia #IndianKabaddi #Kabaddi360 pic.twitter.com/3BiCEhGqgK— Kabaddi360 (@Kabaddi_360) September 21, 2026 Meanwhile, India enjoyed a strong day at the Asian Games 2026, securing more medals across shooting and mixed martial arts, while athletes also progressed to finals in swimming and registered wins in boxing, soft tennis and table tennis.In shooting, Himanshu won silver and Rudrankksh secured bronze in the men's 10m air rifle individual final. Earlier, Rudrankksh and Himanshu had qualified for the final after finishing third and seventh respectively, while Parth Mane finished 11th. The Indian trio had also won silver in the team event.In mixed martial arts, Suchika Tariyal secured a bronze medal after losing to Singapore's Teo Hui Hoon in the women's traditional 60kg semifinal.In boxing, Sumit defeated Thailand's Bunjong Sinsiri in the men's 70kg Round of 32 bout to advance in the competition.Asian Games 2026: India Women's Hockey Team Thrash Indonesia 17-1 As Deepika Sehrawat, Rutuja Pisal Score Hat-Tricks Soft tennis saw Aadhya Tiwari and Jay Meena record wins over Cambodia and Mongolia in their mixed doubles Group B matches. They also lost to South Korea's Kim Yeon-hwa and Jaekyu Park before suffering defeat against the Philippines' Christy Sanosa and Sherwin Nuguit in the round of 16.In swimming, Srihari Nataraj advanced to the men's 50m backstroke final, with Rishabh Das named as reserve. Mani Akash and Gitesh Shah missed out on the men's 50m freestyle final, while Dhanush Suresh failed to qualify for the men's 100m breaststroke final.In wushu, Nyeman Wangsu finished 15th in the women's Changquan final. In table tennis, India defeated Pakistan 3-0 in the women's team Group F match. India, however, suffered a setback in sepaktakraw, losing to Japan in the men's team regu Group B match. (Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

New Delhi, September 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday extended his best wishes to the Indian contingent as the 20th Asian Games officially commenced in Aichi-Nagoya in Japan, saying the country is proud of the athletes for their hard work, dedication and determination.“As the Asian Games commence in Aichi-Nagoya, my best wishes to the Indian contingent. Each athlete has worked incredibly hard and shown remarkable dedication and determination. India is proud of them. May they give their best, play well and shine!” PM Modi wrote in a post on X.As the Asian Games commence in Aichi-Nagoya, my best wishes to the Indian contingent. Each athlete has worked incredibly hard and shown remarkable dedication and determination. India is proud of them.May they give their best, play well and shine! pic.twitter.com/FYokK9OTWK— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 19, 2026 Opening CeremonyAt Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya, Japan’s Emperor Naruhito declared the 20th edition of the continental sporting extravaganza open, marking the ceremonial beginning of an event that will bring together thousands of athletes over the next two weeks.For India, the opening ceremony carried its own significance as Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and kabaddi star Pawan Sehrawat led the Indian contingent into the stadium.With the Indian Tricolour held high, the duo became the faces of a contingent carrying the expectations of a nation looking to build on its record-breaking campaign at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.India won 107 medals in Hangzhou, including 28 gold, and will now look to surpass that tally in Aichi-Nagoya.Asian Games HistoryThe first Asian Games were held in New Delhi in 1951, with 489 athletes from 11 countries taking part. Since then, the continental showpiece has been hosted 19 times.The Aichi-Nagoya Games are the 20th edition of the Asian Games and the third time that Japan is hosting the continental event, after Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994. The Games will feature 45 countries and regions competing across 43 sports.India’s Defending ChampionsIndia will enter the competition as defending champions in both men’s and women’s cricket and kabaddi, while the men’s hockey team will also seek to retain its title.PV Sindhu will spearhead India’s badminton campaign, while Mirabai Chanu will lead the weightlifting contingent. Manu Bhaker will be among India’s leading names in shooting, with Aman Sehrawat taking the mat in wrestling.Also Watch: Asian Games 2026 Opening Ceremony: Indian Contingent Wears Gujarati-Style Sarees & Bandhgalas | WATCHIndian Athletes To WatchLovlina Borgohain will look to make her mark in boxing, while athletics will feature more than 75 Indian track and field athletes.Gulveer Singh, Tejaswin Shankar, Murali Sreeshankar, Jyothi Yarraji and Parul Chaudhary are among India’s leading athletics names, while Tajinderpal Singh Toor heads into Aichi-Nagoya as a two-time defending champion in shot put.(Disclaimer: Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)