India’s Asian Games campaign in Aichi-Nagoya sparked into life on Sunday, as the country opened its medal account with a pair of silvers in women’s shooting and locked in podium finishes across multiple sports.
Elavenil leads from the front
On a tense morning at the women’s 10 m air rifle range, Elavenil Valarivan did what India has come to expect from one of its most polished performers. She first anchored the team to a silver medal, combining with Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa K. Vinod to put India on the board at the 2026 Asian Games.
The trio held their nerve in a field stacked with continental heavyweights, stringing together enough consistency to stay in the medal positions as the pressure rose shot by shot. The silver set the tone. It also set up Elavenil for a bigger individual push.
Later in the day, she was back on the line, this time alone, chasing perfection in the individual 10 m air rifle event. The standard was unforgiving, the margins brutal, but Elavenil stayed in the fight and finished with another silver. Two events, two medals, and a clear statement that India’s shooting program remains among Asia’s elite.
Medals guaranteed in the ring and on the pitch
The good news did not stop at the range.
On the mixed martial arts mat, Suchika Tariyal powered her way into the semifinals in the women’s traditional 60 kg category. That single step carried huge weight: under the tournament format, her progression guarantees India at least a bronze. Now the question is whether she can turn that into something shinier.
Over at the cricket ground, India’s women have done what was widely expected of a star-studded unit — reach the final. Their place in the title clash means another medal is already assured, gold or silver, as they chase another high point in a format where Indian names like Smriti Mandhana now dominate the global record books.
Big squad, bigger expectations
India has arrived in Aichi-Nagoya with intent and numbers to match. A 501-strong contingent — 267 men and 234 women — is spread across 36 disciplines, a sign of both depth and ambition.
They are not starting from scratch. The benchmark is clear: a historic Hangzhou campaign where India finished fourth on the medals table behind China, Japan and South Korea, collecting 106 medals and resetting expectations of what an Indian Asian Games can look like.
This time, the squad is led by some of the country’s most recognisable sporting figures. Manu Bhaker and Elavenil headline a hardened shooting unit. Mirabai Chanu brings Olympic pedigree to weightlifting. Lovlina Borgohain fronts the boxing challenge. P.V. Sindhu remains a towering presence in badminton. On the wrestling mat, Aman Sehrawat carries India’s hopes, while Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Gulveer Singh spearhead the track and field push.
On the turf and the pitch, Harmanpreet Singh drives the men’s hockey ambitions, and Smriti Mandhana and Jasprit Bumrah lend star power and steel to India’s cricket campaigns.
Day one of medals in Japan has delivered silver glint and guaranteed podiums. For a nation that now measures its Asian Games in three figures, the question is no longer whether India will climb the table — it’s how high this group can push the ceiling.
