Page 2 - Latest Updates on Asian Games 2026

Pranati Nayak takes measured approach in bid for maiden Asian Games medal

Indian gymnast Pranati Nayak has learnt to live with injuries and the long road back to competition after those setbacks, but the frustrating cycle has done little to dampen her spirits as she chases a maiden Asian Games medal in her fourth appearance at the mega-event. The 31-year-old, who is the only Indian gymnast selected for the quadrennial event, left for Aichi, Nagoya, Japan on Wednesday night for the Games beginning September 19. It has come about after a carefully managed recovery from plantar fasciitis (inflammation of foot) that bothered her this season. She missed out on the women's vault final at the Commonwealth Games because of this. "I am 100 per cent fit now. Injury is a part of a gymnast's life. A gymnast has a lot of injuries. We have to take care of them," Nayak, who trains at the Odisha AM/NS India Gymnastics High Performance Centre, told PTI. "I had made a mistake while running (in Glasgow) but injury was not the reason behind it. After coming back from ...

A song, 10 men, golden finish: Harbinder relives India's 1966 Asiad victory

Sixty years after India scripted hockey history at the 1966 Asian Games in Bangkok, Harbinder Singh still gets goosebumps when he hears the song that became the team's companion on its journey to gold. "Whenever we went to a match, Shankar Laxman (India goalkeeper at that time) would play 'Watan ki raah mein watan ke naujawan shaheed ho' in the team bus, and all the players would sing along. This would automatically motivate us," the 83-year-old three-time Olympic medallist told PTI in an exclusive interview. "Even today, when I hear this song, I get goosebumps," he added. It also became a galvanising force before their Asian Games final against arch foes Pakistan, a match that India won to bring home their first ever gold at the continental showpiece. The song and the final remain etched in the memory of the legendary centre-forward, who was also a part of India's 1964 Tokyo Olympics gold-winning team. "We had won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics just two years earlier, and s

Asian Games 2026 HIGHLIGHTS: Pakistan beat Thailand in last-over thriller; reach semi-finals

Asiad 2026 HIGHLIGHTS: India's men's doubles teqball team eliminated after losing both group-stage matches

Asiad 2026 women's cricket: Why China bowed out without taking to the field

China's quarter-final against Bangladesh was washed out, with rankings deciding who progressed, as India prepare to face hosts Japan in their opening match on September 18

Asian Games 2026 September 17 Schedule, live event time (IST), streaming

Bangladesh women's cricket team are through to the semifinals after thier quarterfinal match vs China was abandoned

Asiad 2026: Indian contingent grapples with accommodation woes in Nagoya

The rowing team was among the worst affected, with many athletes left without accommodation on the cruise ship designated to house them

Parveen Hooda seeks fresh start at Asian Games after Hangzhou medal miss

Boxer Parveen Hooda is heading back to the Asian Games chasing a medal she once won but can no longer call her own, hoping to replace the bronze taken away from her due to a ban with another podium finish. The Indian pugilist won that bronze in the 57kg category in the Hangzhou Games in 2023, along with an Olympic quota for India, only to lose both after being handed a suspension. Since then, Parveen's comeback has involved one adjustment after another -- a new weight class, a coupe of injuries, another move up and a quarterfinal exit at the Commonwealth Games. "Of course, yes," the 26-year-old told PTI when asked if she has unfinished business at the Asian Games. The bronze has been gone for nearly two years. The memory of winning it has not. Neither has the feeling of what followed. Parveen was suspended by WADA for 22 months in May 2024 after three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period. The suspension, later backdated by 14 months, cost her the Asian Games medal and the

Asiad 2026: BFI clears direct Worlds route for Asian Games medallists

The BFI's four-stage pathway will then move through the Asian Qualifier in China and two World Qualifying Tournaments in 2028

Asiad 2026: Captain Pushpa Rana backs India to defend women's kabaddi gold

India's women's team will begin its campaign against Bangladesh on September 21 before taking on Iran and Japan in Group A

Asian Games 2026: India full schedule, contingent, medal prospects and more

India's competitive action at the Asian Games will begin on September 17 with teqball, while the women's cricket team begins its campaign on September 18 against Japan

Asiad 2026: How India fared in previous editions of the Asian Games

With a medal haul of 107, the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou witnessed India's best-ever outing in the history of the continental tournament

Indian contingent for Asiad: Full list of 503 Aichi-Nagoya-bound athletes

Athletics once again has the highest representation among Indian athletes chosen for the continental event, with 74 participants named for the Asian Games 2026 at Aichi-Nagoya

Tendenthoi heads to Asian Games for second time with renewed confidence

Tendenthoi Devi Haobijam heads into her second Asian Games with a confidence that was missing when she made her debut at the Hangzhou edition three years ago, and the young Manipuri rower believes she can make a bigger impact this time. The 23-year-old will spearhead India's challenge in the women's coxless four, rowing at No. 3 alongside Poonam (No. 4), Aleena Anto (No. 2) and Gurbani Kaur (No. 1). The quartet has trained and competed together since last year, giving them time to understand each other's strengths and develop as a unit. "My first international competition was the Asian Games in 2023. My performance was good, but I wasn't very confident because I was still a junior at that time. I had to learn a lot from the seniors and take their advice," Tendenthoi stated in a release. This time, the preparation has been more consistent, with the crew also going through acclimatisation together and working on the mental side of competition, including meditation and sessions with a

Asian Games-bound Pathirage's javelin damaged during flight to Japan

Sri Lankan javelin thrower Rumesh Pathirage has suffered a setback ahead of the upcoming Asian Games after five of his "winning" javelins were damaged in air travel. The 23-year-old was returning to Sri Lanka from Budapest after competing at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship on September 13 on a Turkish airline flight. "All five of my winning javelins were damaged inside the aircraft. I was trying to use them at the upcoming Asian Games, the 2028 Olympics and the World Championship," Pathirage said. He said he had lodged a complaint with Turkish Airlines. The Sri Lankan, who is enjoying a breakout season, has breached the 90m mark three times this year. All three of those throws came with the javelins that were damaged. In July, Pathirage beat two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra to win Sri Lanka's first athletics gold since 1950 at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The Sri Lankan has won 11 of his last 12 international competitions, including the Diamond League Fina

Raja Randhir Singh, Jaspal Rana honoured as IOA names Asiad memorial awards

Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha on Tuesday announced two memorial awards named after veteran sports administrator late Raja Randhir Singh and multiple Asian and Commonwealth Games medallist and renowned pistol coach Jaspal Rana. While Singh, who served as the secretary general of the IOA for 25 years from 1987 to 2012, and also as the president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), passed away at the age of 79 in May this year, Rana, who was the coach of double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, died at the age of 49 in June. Usha made the announcement here during the launch of a book on Rana titled "Maverick Jaspal", co-authored by senior sports journalists S Kannan and G Rajaraman. "From this year, the IOA has decided to introduce two memorial trophies in the names of legendary Raja Randhir Singh and shooting great Jaspal Rana for the best athletes in the Asian Games," she said. "The Raja Randhir Singh Trophy will be awarded to the best male athlete of the Asian Games, .

India Women land in Japan with Muzumdar eyeing golden double at Asiad

The Indian women's cricket team head coach Amol Muzumdar said his players are eagerly looking forward to the unique atmosphere of the Asian Games after the defending champions landed in Japan determined to extend their recent run of success. Fresh from their T20 Asia Cup triumph, Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. will now turn their attention to the Asian Games, where India will look to retain the gold medal they won in the Hangzhou edition in 2023. "The team is looking forward to the Asian Games and enjoying the environment of the multi-sport event," Muzumdar said after arriving here with members of his support staff on an early morning flight. A few members of the squad travelled with the coaching staff, while the rest were scheduled to arrive later in the day, with pacer Kranti Gaur and spinner Shree Charani among those to land with the coaching staff. Muzumdar said the experience of living alongside athletes from different sports, sharing the Games Village and competing on a multi-sport

Asian Games 2026: India train for kabaddi gold as Sehrawat backs team unity

Pawan Sehrawat says India's 12-member kabaddi squad has built trust through training camps as Sunil Kumar's side prepares to open its Asian Games campaign against Japan on September 21

Asian Games 2026: How govt spent Rs 800.7 crore on athletes' preparations

The Sports Ministry reported Rs 702.86 crore in training calendar spending and Rs 97.84 crore from TOPS as India prepares to send 501 athletes, including 310 debutants, to Japan

Asian Games 2026: OCA sets safeguarding rules; violators face suspension

Inappropriate relationships where "power imbalance or dependency" exists, use of degrading language or being a bystander to instances of harassment have been strictly prohibited in the Olympic Council of Asia's Safeguarding Code of Conduct for athletes and officials at the Asian Games with violations punishable by suspension from the mega-event. The code of conduct has been circulated to all athletes and officials bound for the Games beginning September 19 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan and participants are required to sign and adhere to it. Softball Association of India President Neetal Narang would be India's Safeguarding Officer during the Games, which is a mandatory requirement in the contingent staff as per the OCA. The use of social media has also been addressed in the code of conduct with the OCA making it clear that content should be "respectful, and appropriate" and must not "compromise the dignity or safety of others." "Breaches of this Code may result in removal of accreditation

Asian Games 2026: Wrestler Nisha puts setbacks behind, eyes glory

For years, Nisha Dahia would have this lingering thought after every injury: Why me? Why did the body give up just when everything seemed to be falling into place? Why did another promising campaign end in disappointment? She no longer asks those questions? Nisha has learnt to take setbacks in her stride, stopped cribbing about the injuries that have repeatedly interrupted her career, and, most importantly, accepted that an athlete can control the work but not always the outcome. That change in mindset could prove as important as any technical improvement when Nisha steps on the mat at the Asian Games in the women's 68kg category, carrying the hopes of finally converting her considerable potential into a major medal. "I used to feel that God was being unfair on me. I used to think, why is this happening to me again and again? But now I don't think like that," Nisha told PTI in an interview. "I will get what is written in my fate. I will do my job, work hard and wrestle well. I wi