India at Asian Games 2026: Squads & Medal Hopefuls
India enters Aichi-Nagoya off the back of its best-ever Asian Games showing, the first time it crossed 100 medals. Here’s what’s confirmed so far about India’s 2026 squads sport-by-sport and the athletes carrying its medal ambitions.
India’s Asian Games Track Record
India’s 2022/23 Hangzhou performance was its best in Asian Games history, 106 total medals, the first time it broke the 100-medal mark, and a jump from 8th to 4th overall compared to 2018.
| Edition | Rank | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Jakarta-Palembang | 8th | 16 | 23 | 31 | 70 |
| 2022/23 Hangzhou | 4th | 28 | 38 | 40 | 106 |
Source: India at the 2018 Asian Games and India at the 2022 Asian Games, Wikipedia (compiled from official OCA results).
India’s Strongest Sports
Shooting and archery form the backbone of India’s medal program, with athletics and field hockey (men’s and women’s gold in 2022) also major contributors.
| Sport | 2022 Medals (G-S-B) |
|---|---|
| Shooting | 29 (6-14-9) |
| Archery | 22 (7-9-6) |
| Athletics (2018 figures) | 20 (8-9-3) |
| Field Hockey | Men’s and women’s gold, 2022 |
Note: shooting and archery figures are 2022; India is also traditionally strong in badminton and kabaddi.
India’s Official Squads by Sport
Indian national federations and the Indian Olympic Association have published detailed, named 2026 rosters across an unusually large number of sports. Below is what we’ve confirmed.
Confirmed via official federation/media sources
| Sport | Key Named Athletes | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Shooting | 30-member squad incl. Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh, Rahi Sarnobat, Elavenil Valarivan | Confirmed |
| Archery | 12-member squad incl. Dhiraj Bommadevara, Jyothi Surekha Vennam; Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das missed selection | Confirmed |
| Athletics | 72-member squad incl. Neeraj Chopra (defending javelin champion), Tajinderpal Singh Toor, Avinash Sable, Jyothi Yarraji | Confirmed |
| Badminton | 20-member squad incl. PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty | Confirmed |
| Field Hockey (Men’s) | Defending champions; 20-man squad captained by Harmanpreet Singh | Confirmed |
| Field Hockey (Women’s) | Defending champions; 20-woman squad captained by Salima Tete | Confirmed |
| Wrestling | Men’s freestyle: Aman Sehrawat, Deepak Punia. Women’s freestyle: Antim Panghal, Nisha Dahiya | Confirmed |
| Boxing | Men incl. Narender Berwal. Women incl. Lovlina Borgohain, Preeti Pawar | Confirmed |
| Table Tennis | 10-member squad captained by G Sathiyan and Sreeja Akula; Manika Batra named only as reserve | Confirmed |
| Tennis | Sumit Nagal, Yuki Bhambri (men); Ankita Raina (women) | Confirmed |
| Squash | Joshna Chinappa (7th consecutive Asiad), teen star Anahat Singh | Confirmed |
| Golf | 6-member squad incl. Aditi Ashok, Diksha Dagar | Confirmed |
| Equestrian | 12-member squad incl. Fouaad Mirza, Shruti Vora | Confirmed |
| Fencing | 24-member squad incl. C.A. Bhavani Devi | Confirmed |
| Cricket (Men’s & Women’s) | Men captained by Shreyas Iyer incl. Jasprit Bumrah; women captained by Harmanpreet Kaur incl. Smriti Mandhana | Confirmed |
| Esports | 23-member qualification squad across League of Legends, Honor of Kings, Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and more | Confirmed |
Provisional / training-camp lists (not yet the final competition squad)
| Sport | Notes |
|---|---|
| Kabaddi (Men’s) | 29-player training-camp probables list incl. Pawan Sehrawat, Naveen Kumar Goyat; the final 12-man competition squad hadn’t been confirmed as of the most recent camp news |
| Rowing | Only two names surfaced (Balraj Panwar, Babu Lal Yadav); full squad not yet published |
Not yet announced / not found in our research
| Sports |
|---|
| Basketball, Swimming, Weightlifting, Judo, Taekwondo, Karate, Wushu, Sport Climbing, Skateboarding, Sailing, Canoeing, Cycling, Volleyball, Handball |
Storylines to Watch
Neeraj Chopra’s title defense: India’s biggest global track and field star returns to defend his Asian Games javelin gold, the headline storyline of India’s entire delegation.
Hockey double defense: both the men’s and women’s field hockey teams enter Aichi-Nagoya as defending champions from Hangzhou 2023, giving India a genuine shot at a repeat sweep.
Shooting and archery depth: with 30 shooters and 12 archers named, these two sports remain India’s most reliable medal engines, having combined for over 50 medals in 2022 alone.
No football: unlike most major delegations, India will not field a men’s or women’s football team in 2026, a notable gap in an otherwise broad squad list.