Asian Games

No sweets till LA, vows Savita as India women chase World Cup, Asiad medals

No sweets, no chocolates, or fast food until the Los Angeles Olympics -- this is the self-imposed diet pledge taken by the Indian women's hockey team as they sharpen their focus on securing podium finishes at the FIH World Cup and the Asian Games, says the legendary goalkeeper Savita Punia. The Indian team, which scripted history with a fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics, continues to follow their strict fitness regime introduced by the strength and conditioning coach Wayne Lombard, who is back with the team as scientific advisor and head of athletic performance during the Olympic cycle. "Wayne is as good a trainer as he is strict. He has set very high standards for fitness and always says that if you want to achieve something, you must be willing to sacrifice," Savita told PTI in an interview. She recalled the first decision was to eliminate sugar and junk food from the team's diet before the Tokyo Olympics, and the change in the team's fitness levels is evident. "The first

Asian Games: India, Pakistan get direct quarterfinal entry in cricket draw

Defending champions India and Pakistan have been given direct entry into quarterfinals of both the men's and women's cricket competition of this year's Asian Games. The Indian women's team will open its campaign against Japan, while the men's opponents will be decided after the preliminary stage. The women will be up against either Bangladesh or China in the semifinals. The men's cricket competition will start on September 24 and conclude on October 1. The men's team might face Pakistan in the semifinals. The women's event will be held from September 17 to 22. The potential of a clash with Pakistan is not ruled out in the women's final. The men's competition features 10 teams. The preliminary stage will feature Afghanistan, Japan, and Nepal in Group A and Hong Kong China, Malaysia and Oman in Group B. Both competitions will be played in the T20 format at the Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi prefecture. Shreyas Iyer will captain the Indian men's team, while Harmanpreet Kaur will capt

Here's why India got direct entry to Asian Games cricket knockout stage

Defending champions India receive quarterfinal byes in the men's event, while the women's tournament starts directly from the last eight

CWG poses bigger medal challenge than Asian Games, says Vishal Thennarasu

India's top 400m runners believe the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will offer sterner competition than the Asian Games later this year, making it an ideal proving ground ahead of the continental showpiece. The scaled-down Commonwealth Games begins on July 23, nearly two months before the Asian Games, and India will field a 32-member athletics squad. Vishal Thennarasu Kayalvizhi, who will be competing in the men's 400m and mixed 4x400m relay at the CWG, said the quality of competition in Glasgow, particularly with athletes from Australia and England in the fray, would push Indian runners to raise their standards. "Commonwealth Games is hard, it's tough if we don't work. I won't say it's impossible, I will say it is possible (to win a medal) if we work out well. Nothing is easy, whether it is Asian Games or Commonwealth Games since these are big competitions. "It is an ocean out there and I need a chance to prove myself so I will take it as an opportunity and then try to pus

Sathiyan backs India for best-ever table tennis performance at Asiad 2026

Indian table tennis team has a fine mix of youth and experience and is confident of delivering its best performance yet in the Asian Games to be held in September-October, says G Sathiyan, the senior-most member of the side. With Sharath Kamal retiring from the sport last year, the 33-year-old Sathiyan will have the responsibility of leading a side that has youngsters like Payas Jain and Syndrela Das. "For almost a decade I have played with him (Sharath Kamal) in the team and we have learnt a lot. The best part about him is he never lets the age gap come between us and that is what I have learnt," Sathiyan told PTI on the sidelines of Ultimate Table Tennis. "It is really important to connect with the youngsters as well. Share your ideas but listen to them. Give them that space of what they really want to do. Let them do their own style. "Pressure is a privilege. Yes, there is pressure on being a senior member and handling the youngsters, a mix of them. But this is what we have been

JSW announced as India's performance, lifestyle partner for 2026 CWG, Asiad

The official Team India merchandise for the CWG and Asian Games 2026 will be available through the JSW Inspire website from July 15, while sales on Myntra and Ajio will begin on July 23

Asian Games debut marks new chapter for rapidly growing virtual taekwondo

When Vietnamese athlete Nguyen Thanh Hien Linh stepped into her first virtual taekwondo competition in Singapore in 2024, she had little idea what she was doing. "I was just kicking into the air," recalled the 21-year-old. Despite her background as an elite national taekwondo champion, she struggled in the virtual arena with no clue on strategy, skills or how the technology worked. Two years later, she won a gold medal at a recent virtual taekwondo competition in Malaysia and was part of a growing community of the gamified combat sport across Southeast Asia. Once unfamiliar and experimental, virtual taekwondo is now emerging as a structured competitive discipline. Co-developed by World Taekwondo and Singapore-based technology company Refract Technologies, it combines virtual reality technology with traditional taekwondo techniques to woo tech-savvy young athletes. Competitors wear VR headsets that transport them into a digital 3D arena, and strap motion-tracking sensors on their ..

Tanvi Khanna backs complete home ecosystem for India's squash rise

Squash ace Tanvi Khanna believes that establishing the complete ecosystem of the sport within the country is essential for the skill expansion and global success of next generation players. The world No. 74 Tanvi, who is in the Indian squad for the Asian Games to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, in September-October, says India must imbibe lessons from top nations that have consistently produced champions. "I do believe we can learn from other nations that have a history of producing champions, but the idea is to learn and bring back the same skills to fellow Indians, so, it's more sustainable and long term," Tanvi, who won the Squash PSA Challenger Tour here, told PTI in an exclusive interview. "I strongly believe if we want the future generation to win medals for India, the entire ecosystem of coaches and players has to be in India. "This is the only way to inspire the future generations (and) this is what countries like Egypt have, and India is currently lacking," she said. Tan

India retain Harmanpreet as Asiad captain despite poor World Cup outing

Harmanpreet Kaur was on Tuesday retained as India captain for this year's Asian Games in Japan despite the team's earlier than expected exit from the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in England. The Women's Selection Committee named a 15-member squad for the Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan from September 19 to October 4. The team's World Cup campaign ended on Sunday after a group stage loss to Australia. The Indian women's team will enter the Asian Games as defending champions, having won the gold medal at the event's previous edition in Hangzhou, China in 2023. Smriti Mandhana will continue to be Harmanpreet's deputy. Wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia is the only player to be dropped from the World Cup squad and in her place, G Kamalini has been drafted into the side. Shreyanka Patil, who was ruled out with an ankle injury in the middle of the World Cup, has been included in the squad but her availability will be subject to fitness clearance. Harmanpreet will

Who is Ancy Sojan? Kerala jumper who broke Anju Bobby's 22-year-old record

Besides rewriting the record books, the jump also secured Ancy the Athletics Federation of India's qualification mark for the 2026 Asian Games

'Hungrier' Yuvraj Sandhu eyes 'Major' glory, cherishes Asian Games dream

India's top-ranked golfer Yuvraj Sandhu says he is "hungrier than ever" and has set himself an ambitious target of winning a major championship within the next two to three years. Sandhu clinched an unprecedented seven titles last year during a record-breaking domestic season, topping the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) Order of Merit to earn a full-season card on the prestigious DP World Tour. "I'm just a little hungrier than ever before. Now that I've tasted the European tour, I feel like this is exactly where professional golf is... it's literally where you want to be. So I see myself playing a lot of majors next year, contending as well. And ideally, it would be -- winning a major next year," Yuvraj told PTI. "So I'm just going to stick to the process, work hard and let's see if I can win a major next year. That'll be golden. But I definitely see myself winning a major in the coming two or three years. "I definitely see that because I know that, to begin with, I have the

AFI to consider Tejaswin for Asiad despite missing Inter-State competition

National record holder decathlete Tejaswin Shankar will be considered for this year's Asian Games despite not competing in the National Inter-State Senior Championships which begins here on Wednesday as he has been granted exemption from the meet, a top official of the national federation said on Tuesday. Tejaswin, who rewrote his own national record during the Federation Cup in Ranchi last month, has been named in the 32-member Indian team for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow (July 23 to August 2). He has sought exemption from the National Inter-State Senior Championships and the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) granted him exemption. "Yes, he has sought exemption from the National Inter-State in writing and we have granted it. He will be considered for the Asian Games," AFI Planning Commission chairman Lait Bhanot told PTI ahead of the championships here. "The gruelling 10-event decathlon is such an event which an athlete cannot compete twice within one month. You need a long

Doha Dimaond League: Neeraj Chopra eyes fresh start after injury-hit season

Returning to competition after a nine-month absence caused by a back injury, India's Olympic champion says he is fit and ready for a demanding year featuring the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games

Dhiraj's road to archery World Cup double gold built on family sacrifice

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

India stun Olympic champions Korea twice for historic World Cup double

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 .

India's highly decorated shooter and coach Jaspal Rana dies aged 49

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.

BCCI picks full-strength squad for Asian Games 2026, includes Bumrah, Iyer

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

New captain to new faces: What to expect from India selection for UK tour

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

Antim to Aman: Full list of Indian wrestlers qualified for Asian Games 2026

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

Satwik-Chirag Singapore Open win boosts India's Asian Games 2026 hopes

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