Asian Games

Two years ago, Dhiraj Bommadevara walked away from Paris heartbroken after narrowly missing what would have been India's first Olympic archery medal. Leading 2-0 in the recurve mixed team semifinal alongside Ankita Bhakat, Dhiraj watched the match slip away against South Korea's Kim Woojin and Lim Sihyeon. But in Antalya on Sunday, Dhiraj stood atop the podium twice after scripting one of the finest days in Indian archery. The 24-year-old defeated arch-nemesis South Korea twice en route to a historic double gold haul at the Archery World Cup Stage 3 -- first in the recurve mixed team event alongside 17-year-old Kumkum Mohod and then individually against Paris Olympics bronze medallist Lee Woo Seok. Never before had the country won two gold medals at a World Cup stage, overcoming South Korea. The journey ========= For Dhiraj, however, this triumph was about something far more personal. It was the reward for his father's unusual decision to become an archery judge to support him

A fearless new generation of Indian recurve archers announced its arrival in style on Sunday as India defeated archery powerhouse South Korea twice in a single day to secure a historic double gold haul at the Archery World Cup Stage 3 here. Paris Olympian Dhiraj Bommadevara emerged the star of the campaign, first combining with 17-year-old Kumkum Mohod to stun the Olympic champions in the recurve mixed team final before overcoming Paris Olympics bronze medallist Lee Woo Seok to clinch his maiden individual World Cup gold. It was the first time India had won two gold medals at a single World Cup stage by defeating South Korea, long considered their nemesis in recurve archery. The performance helped India finish second in medals tally behind China (three gold, one bronze), while Korea were pushed to fourth spot (1-2-1). Mexico were third. The twin triumphs also underlined India's new-found resurgence in the recurve section, where has now beaten the Koreans twice in successive World .

Rana, who rose to prominence with Asian Games gold at 18, helped establish India as a global force in shooting both as an athlete and a coach.

India's gold medal-winning captain at the Asian Games 2022 will not be part of India's 15-member squad in 2026

BCCI, along with India's squad for the bilateral series against Ireland and England, will also announce the squad for the Asian Games 2026 later this year

Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat and former world U20 champion Antim Panghal headlined the selections after winning their respective categories

Satwik and Chirag's win has not only ended their two-year-long wait for a trophy but also made them the first Indian pair to win the men's doubles event of the tournament

The development suggests that the selectors could be planning a different approach for the continental event while keeping an eye on India's larger international commitments.

Vinesh began her campaign in the trials with a comfortable 7-1 victory over Jyoti before surviving a stern challenge from Nishu Kumari in the quarterfinals

The decision has set up an intriguing battle in the women's 53kg division, with Vinesh expected to compete against former world championships medallist Antim Panghal

Court directed that Phogat shall be permitted to participate in the selection trials, the entire process shall be video-recorded by WFI, and two independent observers shall oversee the trials

Phogat, who is attempting a return after a maternity break, challenged the WFI's decision after being declared ineligible under revised rules linked to retirement and anti-doping regulations

India enjoyed its best-ever archery campaign at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where a 16-member contingent returned with nine medals

The latest confrontation between the two sports authorities emerged after SAI directed the BFI to halt the proposed assessment tests for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games squads

The Games will be held in Japan from September 19 to October 4, 2026, with live coverage available on Sony Sports Network channels and streaming platform Sony LIV

India has topped WADA's doping charts for three straight years, raising concerns over its global sporting credibility

Grinding it out is the only way forward, and out-of-favour Indian archer Komalika Bari has learnt it the hard way. Once seen as the next big thing in Indian archery after Deepika Kumari, the 24-year-old has slipped to a lowly 498 in world rankings and is currently out of the national team since 2024. From a career-best rank of 51 in September 2022, it has been a steep fall. But Komalika is not giving up. With a packed season ahead, culminating in the Asian Games in Japan later this year, she is hoping to fight her way back and revive her 2028 LA Olympics dream. "I am currently in the Top 16 (among Indians) and part of the training camp and I am preparing seriously for the Asian Games selection," Komalika told SAI Media on the sidelines of the inaugural Khelo India Triba Games here. "I am also looking to participate in as many competitions to gain experience while maintaining our training schedule." Her journey had once mirrored that of the five-time Olympian and former world No.

India in the last Asian Games in Hangzhou, won five medals in squash events, which was their joint best with the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, where they also won five medals

While some participating countries may house athletes aboard a cruise liner docked at a nearby port, India has requested land-based accommodation for its contingent

The Esports Federation of India (ESFI) on Saturday opened registrations for the National Esports Championships, a qualification tournament that will determine the country's contingent for the Asian Games. India will have the opportunity to compete across 10 video game titles at the Games, scheduled to be held in AichiNagoya, Japan from September 19 to October 4. Esports will feature as a full-fledged medal event for only the second time, since the Hangzhou Asian Games held in China in 2023. Registrations for the Nationals will continue till March 7. The NESC qualification will feature competition across titles confirmed under the Asian Games Esports Program and will include Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, The King of Fighters XV (clubbed as one team event), Pokemon Unite, League of Legends, PUBG Mobile (Asian Games Version), Puyo Puyo, Naraka: Bladepoint, eFootball and Gran Turismo. Through NESC 2026, ESFI will identify and select athletes to represent India across eight medal events,