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The 2026 Asian Games, hosted across Aichi Prefecture and the city of Nagoya in Japan, are underway, running from September 19 to October 4, with select sports — including cricket — having started as early as September 10. On September 20, India's badminton campaign gets underway, spearheaded by two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, as the country pushes for medals across a packed multi-sport program.
Cricket has already provided an early flashpoint: India's women's team faced Japan in the quarter-finals on September 18, while the men's cricket campaign is scheduled to begin September 28 as India defends its title in the format.
India has fielded competitors across a wide span of disciplines at this edition, with several established international medallists leading individual squads:
| Sport | Key Indian Athlete(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Badminton | PV Sindhu | Two-time Olympic medallist; competition begins September 20 |
| Weightlifting | Mirabai Chanu | Leads a five-member squad |
| Shooting | Manu Bhaker | Double Olympic medallist from Paris 2024 |
| Wrestling | Aman Sehrawat | Paris 2024 bronze medallist |
| Boxing | Full squad | Building on a record 10-medal (7 gold) Commonwealth Games showing |
| Athletics | 70+ athletes | Track and field events run September 24–29 |
| Team sports | Cricket, kabaddi, hockey | India defending titles in men's/women's cricket, kabaddi, and men's hockey |
The Asian Games, held every four years under the Olympic Council of Asia, is the largest multi-sport event in Asia and typically the second-largest global multi-sport event after the Olympics. Japan last hosted the Games in Hiroshima in 1994; Aichi-Nagoya's staging marks Japan's return as host more than three decades later. India has steadily expanded its medal tally at recent editions, buoyed by strong showings from its shooting, wrestling, boxing, and athletics programs, alongside consistent team-sport performances in kabaddi, hockey, and cricket.
For India, the Asian Games functions as both a continental championship and a proving ground ahead of future Olympic cycles. Athletes like Bhaker, Sehrawat, and Sindhu arrive with recent Olympic-level results, meaning their performances here carry weight for both national medal counts and individual world rankings. The scale of India's contingent — spanning individual combat and precision sports to full team rosters in cricket, hockey, and kabaddi — also reflects the growing depth of India's talent pool beyond its traditional strongholds.
Athletics events run from September 24 to 29, likely to be one of the most closely watched blocks of the Games for India given the size of its track and field squad. Team sports finals, including cricket, hockey, and kabaddi, will follow through early October, with the closing ceremony set for October 4.
Where and when are the 2026 Asian Games being held?
In Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya, Japan, with the main competition window running September 19 to October 4, 2026 (some sports, including cricket, started earlier).
Who are India's top medal contenders?
Prominent names include PV Sindhu (badminton), Manu Bhaker (shooting), Mirabai Chanu (weightlifting), and Aman Sehrawat (wrestling), alongside India's boxing squad and its defending-champion teams in cricket, kabaddi, and hockey.
Is this India's biggest Asian Games contingent?
India has fielded a broad, multi-discipline squad building on a strong recent Commonwealth Games showing, though final comparative contingent-size figures are confirmed only once the Games conclude.
With badminton action beginning September 20 behind PV Sindhu and marquee names competing across shooting, wrestling, weightlifting, and boxing, India's 2026 Asian Games campaign is entering its most active phase. The coming two weeks — through athletics, team-sport finals, and individual medal rounds — will shape India's final standing at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
Sources: Olympics.com, ANI News, Outlook India.
