“Indian athletes in action at Asian Games 2026” captures a campaign that is steadily broadening across shooting, athletics, kabaddi, hockey, squash, table tennis and other disciplines. On September 25, India entered another packed day in Aichi-Nagoya with multiple medal opportunities, following a strong previous day that produced five medals and pushed the overall tally to 17.

Shooting Delivers India’s First Gold

The biggest highlight of the day came from Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet, who won gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event with a Games-record performance. The pairing was changed at the last moment, with Kamaljeet replacing Kedarling, and the decision paid off as India defeated South Korea 484.6 to 478.0. It was India’s first shooting gold at these Games and its second gold overall after the women’s T20 cricket triumph.

India also added a silver in the men’s 50m rifle 3-position team event, while mixed doubles table tennis brought another bronze after Diya Chitale and Manush Shah lost their semifinal.

Athletics Takes Centre Stage

Athletics remains one of the major areas of interest for India. The previous day had already delivered a silver in the mixed 4x400m relay and bronze for Seema Kumari in the women’s 10,000m, while sprinters Animesh Kujur and Gurindervir Singh advanced to the men's 100m semifinals.

Friday's programme featured several important medal events:

·       Manpreet Kaur and Krishna Jayasankar Menon in women's shot put.

·       Gulveer Singh in the men's 10,000m final.

·       Damneet Singh and Praveen Kumar in men's hammer throw.

·       Sindhushree Ganesha in women's pole vault.

·       Animesh Kujur and Gurindervir Singh in the men's 100m semifinals, with a final possible later in the evening.

The performances are significant because India is looking to establish athletics as a consistent source of Asian Games medals rather than relying predominantly on shooting and combat sports.

Team Sports Keep India in Contention

India's team-sport campaign has also gathered momentum. The men's hockey team defeated South Korea 8-2, while both men's and women's kabaddi teams advanced from their groups unbeaten. Squash also produced multiple quarterfinalists, including Anahat Singh, Tanvi Khanna, Abhay Singh and Veer Chotrani.

PM Modi Congratulates India’s Asian Games Winners

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet for their gold-medal winning performance in the 10m air pistol mixed team event, praising their record-setting achievement and contribution to India’s Asian Games campaign.

He also congratulated the other Indian medal winners and athletes, commending their determination and dedication while representing the country on the international stage.

From Strong Start to Wider Medal Challenge

India's progress in Aichi-Nagoya is increasingly characterised by breadth. Shooting has supplied another gold, athletics is producing medals and finalists, while kabaddi, hockey, squash and table tennis continue to keep Indian athletes deep into their competitions.

The significance of September 25 therefore extends beyond individual medals. It demonstrates the growing depth of India's Asian Games challenge. The remaining competition will determine how many of these opportunities become podium finishes, but the campaign has already moved well beyond a handful of traditional medal-winning disciplines.

(With agency inputs)