Pakistan at Asian Games 2026: Squash’s Legacy Meets a Funding Crunch
Pakistan heads to Aichi-Nagoya with named cricket and shooting squads already announced, but a shrinking overall delegation amid a broader funding crisis.
Pakistan’s Asian Games Track Record
Pakistan’s 2023 medals came from squash (a men’s team silver for Muhammad Asim Khan, Nasir Iqbal, Noor Zaman, and Farhan Zaman), shooting (a historic bronze for Kishmala Talat in the women’s 10m air pistol — Pakistan’s first-ever Asian Games shooting medal), and kabaddi (bronze). Javelin star Arshad Nadeem, who won 2018 bronze, withdrew from the 2023 Games with injury. The 2018 bronzes came from kabaddi, karate (Nargis Hameedullah, +68kg), Nadeem’s javelin (80.75m), and the squash team.
| Edition | Rank | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Jakarta-Palembang | 34th | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 2022/23 Hangzhou | 31st | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Source: Pakistan at the 2018 Asian Games and Pakistan at the 2022 Asian Games, Wikipedia.
Pakistan’s Strongest Sports
Squash carries Pakistan’s deepest Asian Games legacy, backed by the country’s storied history in the sport. Kabaddi and athletics — particularly javelin, where Arshad Nadeem is now a Paris 2024 Olympic gold medalist and world champion — round out the traditional core, with shooting emerging as a genuine new medal source after Kishmala Talat’s 2023 breakthrough.
Pakistan’s Official Squads by Sport
Pakistan is one of the more advanced delegations for 2026, with full named squads announced for both cricket and shooting.
Confirmed via official federation/media sources
| Sport | Key Named Athletes | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Cricket | 15-man squad: Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Abdul Samad (vice-captain), plus 13 further named players, announced June 10, 2026 | Confirmed |
| Shooting | 8-member squad: Usman Chand, Imam Haroon, Farrukh Nadeem, Ghulam Mustafa Bashir, Mohammad Umar, Mohammad Shabbir, Kishmala Talat, Rabia Kabir, with coach Vladimir Kovalenko, announced Aug 11, 2026 | Confirmed |
Reported but not yet formally finalized
| Sport | Notes |
|---|---|
| Athletics | Arshad Nadeem’s 2026 selection and fitness remain an open question — he has skipped the Diamond League circuit and underwhelmed at the Commonwealth Games following surgery, and has not been formally named to the squad |
Team confirmed, no roster yet / not found
| Sports |
|---|
| Squash, Kabaddi, Karate, Hockey |
Storylines to Watch
A funding crunch: Pakistan’s overall Games budget has come under significant strain, raising real questions about how many sports the country can field a full team in.
Arshad Nadeem’s uncertain form: the reigning Olympic and world javelin champion has had a difficult 2026 season after surgery, and his participation is not yet locked in.
Kishmala Talat’s breakthrough: Pakistan’s first-ever Asian Games shooting medalist returns as part of a fully named 8-athlete shooting squad, giving the country a concrete new medal path.