India sign off Asian Games 2026 with haul of five gold medals on final day

Aichi-Nagoya, Japan: India signed off their Asian Games 2026 campaign in emphatic fashion on October 3, collecting five gold medals in a remarkable final-day surge that took the country to 21 gold and 85 medals overall.

The five gold medals came from men’s cricket, men’s hockey, wrestling, archery and golf, underlining the breadth of India’s challenge across team and individual disciplines. India also added two silver and two bronze medals on the day, finishing fourth in the overall medal standings with 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze medals.

The biggest spotlight fell on the men’s cricket final, where India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan by 19 runs to retain the Asian Games T20 title. Led by Shreyas Iyer, India posted 211 for six after opting to bat, with Abhishek Sharma setting the platform with an explosive 61. Pakistan could manage 196 for six in reply as India completed a second successive Asian Games gold in the men’s competition.

The men’s hockey team delivered another commanding performance, defeating Malaysia 5-1 in the final to successfully defend their Asian Games crown. Captain Harmanpreet Singh scored twice, while Jugraj Singh, Hardik Singh and Shilanand Lakra also found the net. The victory carried an additional reward, securing India direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

The India men's hockey team with their gold medals

Wrestler Aman Sehrawat added another gold in the men’s 57kg freestyle category. The Olympic bronze medallist defeated North Korea’s world champion Chong Song Han 11-7 in the final, improving on the bronze medal he won in the same category at the 2022 Asian Games. His triumph provided another highlight for an Indian wrestling campaign that also produced silver and bronze medals on the final day.

Archery produced one of the day’s most significant individual breakthroughs. Seventeen-year-old Kumkum Mohod won the women’s individual recurve gold after defeating South Korea’s Oh Yejin in a dramatic shoot-off. Mohod became the first Indian woman to win an individual recurve gold at the Asian Games, adding another landmark to an outstanding campaign by the Indian archery contingent.

Golf also witnessed history as Pranavi Urs became the first Indian woman to win an individual Asian Games golf gold medal. The Mysuru golfer held her nerve in the final round to preserve a one-stroke advantage and secure the title. She also contributed to India’s silver medal in the women’s team event alongside Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar.

Kumkum Mohod sprang a surprise in recurve archery

India’s final-day haul was completed by two silver medals and two bronze medals. Antim Panghal won silver in the women’s 53kg wrestling category, while the women’s golf team finished runners-up. Wrestler Deepak Punia claimed bronze in the men’s 97kg freestyle category and archer Neeraj Chauhan won bronze in the men’s individual recurve event.

The five-gold finish capped a late surge that dramatically strengthened India’s overall campaign. Eleven of the country’s 21 gold medals came during the final two days of competition, with boxing, wrestling, archery, hockey, golf and cricket driving the medal rush.

India’s 85-medal haul, however, remained below its record performance at Hangzhou 2022, where the country won 106 medals.

(This report has been prepared with the help of AI) 

Tags : Asian Games, Aman Sehrawat, Kumkum Mohod, Jugraj Singh, Hardik Singh