Asian Games 2026: Six gold medals on Friday lift India to fifth place in medals tally

Aichi-Nagoya: India produced a spectacular late surge at the Asian Games on October 2, winning six gold medals across four disciplines and adding two silver and two bronze medals to take their overall tally to 76 medals in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

The six-gold haul was India's most productive day of the Games and took the country to 16 gold, 25 silver and 35 bronze medals, lifting them to fifth place in the overall standings. The day's success was headlined by a historic women's hockey triumph, a three-gold boxing sweep, a dramatic wrestling victory and a breakthrough women's recurve archery title.

The biggest moment came in women's hockey, where India defeated defending champions China 1-0 in the final to claim their first Asian Games gold in the event since 1982. Lalremsiami Hmarzote scored the decisive goal, while goalkeeper Savita Punia produced a crucial save from a penalty stroke to preserve India's advantage. The victory also secured India a direct berth for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

For the Indian women's hockey team, the triumph ended a 44-year wait for Asian Games gold. It was also a significant turnaround after India had been unable to win the title in the previous editions. The final demanded composure against a strong Chinese side, and India held firm when it mattered most.

Boxing delivered three gold medals in a remarkable session. Lovlina Borgohain defeated China's Bao Ziyi 5-0 in the women's 75kg final, while Parveen Hooda edged Chinese Taipei's Chen Nien-chin 3-2 in the women's 65kg final. Ankush Panghal completed India's boxing gold rush by beating South Korea's Kim Minseong in the men's 80kg category.

Lovlina's victory was particularly notable as it came on her 29th birthday and made her only the second Indian woman boxer to win an Asian Games gold after Mary Kom. India's three boxing titles also marked a significant return to the top of the Asian podium, with the country's women boxers ending a long wait for gold in the competition.

On the wrestling mat, Sujeet Kalkal produced one of the day's most dramatic performances. The Indian fought back from 2-9 down and two minutes to go to win the men's 65kg freestyle gold, adding another title to the country's rapidly growing haul. His comeback victory provided India with their fifth gold of the day.

The sixth gold came in archery, where Ankita Bhakat, Kirti Sharma and Kumkum Mohod defeated reigning world champions South Korea 5-3 in the women's recurve team final. The victory was historic as India won their maiden Asian Games gold in the women's recurve team event.

India also collected two silver medals in archery. Kumkum Mohod and Dhiraj Bommadevara finished runners-up in the mixed recurve team event after losing 3-5 to China, while the men's recurve team also secured silver.

There were further podium finishes in sailing and sepaktakraw. Nethra Kumanan won bronze in the women's dinghy event, while India's men's quadrant team took bronze in sepaktakraw.

The day's 10-medal haul transformed India's position in the medal table. With 16 gold, 25 silver and 35 bronze, India moved into fifth place with 76 medals overall, although Uzbekistan remained ahead on the basis of gold medals despite having fewer medals in total.

With the Games entering their final stages, India's October 2 surge has given the contingent a powerful finish to its campaign. The country still has major medal opportunities ahead, including the men's hockey and cricket gold-medal contests, as India seeks to add to a memorable haul in Aichi-Nagoya.

(The report has been generated with the help of AI)

Tags : Asian Games, Hockey, Archery, Gold, Lalremsiami Hmarzote, Savita Punia,Lovlina Borgohain, Parveen Hooda, Ankush Panghal