Asian Games 2026: A take a look at a few of India’s prime medal prospects

New Delhi [India], September 19 (ANI): Since its inception in 1951, the Asian Games has been one of many greatest sporting phases on the planet, the place a number of the all-time greats have formed their legacies because the legends of the game, and a number of other up-and-coming abilities have used the platform as a launching pad for one thing a lot larger and grander. 

With the aspirations and starvation for medals getting larger than ever in India’s evolving sporting ecosystem, Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan is an occasion of large significance earlier than the Los Angeles Olympics 2028 and for the Indians, the house Commonwealth Games in 2030. Ahead of the continental meet, allow us to take a look at a few of India’s brightest medal prospects. 

-Esha Singh (capturing)

The ace shooter enters the Asian Games in red-hot type, ranked primary in girls’s 25 m pistol capturing and world quantity two in girls’s 10 m air pistol capturing. She secured golds in girls’s 25 pistol in ISSF World Cup in Munich and Hangzhou this yr. At Munich, she registered a world report rating of 43/50 within the last, a proof of her producing her finest in the course of the greatest matches. 

During the Asian Championships held within the nationwide capital this yr, Esha took residence the ladies’s 10 m air pistol gold and 25 m pistol singles competitors silver, whereas additionally teaming up with Manu Bhaker and Rhythm Sangwan for 25 m pistol workforce occasion gold. In the ten m air pistol workforce occasion, she additionally secured a gold, teaming up with Manu and Suruchi Phogat. 

Also a World Championships gold medalist (2023) in blended workforce occasions and a two-time silver medalist on the World Meet, Esha is undoubtedly one of many greatest medal contenders in capturing. 

-Mirabai Chanu (weightlifting)

Having received a number of Commonwealth Games gold medals, an Olympics silver medal within the 2021 version at Tokyo and a number of World Championship medals, together with a gold within the 2017 version within the 48kg, the Indian weightlifting veteran will probably be aiming to finish the set together with her first Asian Games medal, ideally gold. With a 48 kg gold sealed on the Commonwealth Games 2026 Glasgow, Mirabai has momentum by her aspect. 

-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (badminton)

The in style Indian badminton pairing is in red-hot type, having captured the Singapore Open and China Masters titles and having completed runners-up in Thailand this yr. 

Defeating South Korea’s Choi Sol-gyu and Kim Won-ho within the last, Chirag-Satwiksairaj imprinted their identify in historical past books, bringing residence India’s first-ever badminton gold on the Asian Games. With the duo slowly gaining their prime type after a collection of aggressive and harm setbacks, Satwik-Chirag would undoubtedly be one of many first names coming to the thoughts if one talks about potential medalists for this yr’s version. 

-Indian males’s cricket workforce

The Shreyas Iyer-led aspect is in red-hot type proper now. Having conquered T20Is with back-to-back T20 World Cups with a profitable defence at residence this yr, Team India has for probably the most half has appeared indestructible in T20Is since their drought-breaking win in 2024. With heavy-hitters like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a 15-year-old prodigy, record-breaking centurion Abhishek Sharma, a red-hot Ishan Kishan and tempo stalwart Jasprit Bumrah on the coronary heart of the line-up, India are undoubtedly the most important favourites for a gold medal. 

-Indian males’s hockey workforce

Team India might need completed the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup at eighth place, however the Indian workforce within the Asian Games is a distinct gravy altogether, having missed out on the rostrum solely as soon as. The Indian males’s hockey workforce might make historical past as they’ve an opportunity to defend their gold for the primary time ever efficiently, and it will lay down for them a crimson carpet to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics in type of a direct qualification.

-Lovlina Borgohain (boxing)

The 28-year-old boxing star has received medals in every single place, be it a bronze at Olympics, a silver on the Asian Games, a silver at this yr’s Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow and a number of World Championship medals, together with a gold in 2023. 

While sport is de facto unpredictable, Lovlina’s big-match potential and her hefty resume turns her into a no brainer medal favorite. 

-Tajinderpal Singh Toor (shot put)

Having already received a gold medal within the 2018 and 2022 editions, Tajinderpal Singh Toor might make fairly a legacy for himself if he makes it a hat-trick of gold medals on the 2026 version. The nationwide report holder has already confirmed himself on the Asian degree, and a medal might simply be the booster he wants forward of the Los Angeles Olympics 2028. 

-Gurindervir Singh (athletics)

The present males’s 100 m national-record holder (10.09 seconds) has earned comparisons with ‘Flying Sikh’ and athletics legend, the late Milkha Singh, so early on in his profession. Despite a set again on the Commonwealth Games (CWG), the place he couldn’t make it to the medal rounds regardless of clocking 10.39 seconds regardless of having battled an harm earlier than the competitors, it will be arduous to rule out the rising Punjab sprinting star out of the reckoning, particularly contemplating how setbacks have traditionally been the gas to a few of finest sporting comebacks. Expect some wholesome competitors together with his compatriot Animesh Kujur, with whom he has spent a big time coaching, competing and buying and selling nationwide information!

-Sujeet Kalkal (wrestling)

Haryana has had a practice of manufacturing a number of the finest wrestlers not solely in India, however the world. In the period of protein powders and fancy diets, it’s the ‘desi ghee and choorma’ which has raised the tricolour on the international stage a number of occasions.

One can anticipate the 23-year-old Sujeet to hold on that custom. Having already received 65 kg gold on the Asian Championships this yr in Bishkek, and attained success at age-group wrestling with an under-23 gold final yr and an under-20 bronze in 2022, Sujeet is little doubt meant for larger issues, and it will not be stunning if Asian Games 2026 takes his profession to the subsequent degree. 

-Anahat Singh (squash)

The teenage squash star is shaping up as some of the thrilling Indian abilities throughout all disciplines. The two-time Asian Games bronze medalist within the 2022 version is having fun with a wealthy run of type. 

Having received a gold medal in girls’s singles competitors on the World Squash Junior Championships in July, she has additionally secured titles within the PSA World Tour circuit, together with the Squash on Fire Open, her first PSA bronze-level title, by defeating then Commonwealth Games champion Georgina Kennedy within the last. She additionally received the JSW Indian Open this yr. As a part of a historic Squash World Cup-winning workforce from final yr, Anahat has secured a brand new career-high of world quantity 17, The 18-year-old’s performances will probably be watched intently, not solely due to how severe of a contender she is for a medal, but in addition as a result of squash is making its Olympics debut in LA2028. (ANI)