Historic gold medals from teenager Kumkum Mohod and golfer Pranavi Urs, alongside successful title defenses in cricket and hockey, capped off India's 85-medal campaign at the 2026 Asian Games.
India finished in fourth place at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya, wrapping up its campaign with a total of 85 medals comprising 21 gold, 27 silver, and 37 bronze. Powered by a late rush that yielded 11 gold medals over the final two days, India delivered a strong finish on Saturday, October 3, 2026.
Archery proved to be a major highlight as 17-year-old Kumkum Mohod became the first Indian woman archer to win an individual recurve gold. The teenager from Maharashtra defeated South Korea's Oh Yejin 6-5 in the final, following quarterfinal and semifinal victories over reigning world champion Kang Chaeyoung and former world No. 1 Jingyi Zhu respectively. Kumkum signed off from her debut Games with two gold medals, a silver medal, and an Olympic quota place, helping the Indian archery contingent finish with nine medals, including five golds. In the men's individual recurve, Neeraj Chauhan earned bronze by defeating teammate Dhiraj Bommadevara.
In golf, 23-year-old Pranavi Urs from Mysore scripted history by winning India's first individual women's gold. Recovering from an early triple bogey on the third hole, Pranavi carded an even-par 70 in the final round to finish at 15-under 265, one stroke clear of the competition. "I like being the first to do things. People will come along to do more but the first will always be the first," Pranavi said. Her performance also helped the Indian women's team, alongside Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar, secure a silver medal with a combined score of 14-under 546, behind gold-winners China.
India's cricket and hockey teams both successfully defended their crowns. The Shreyas Iyer-led men's cricket team beat Pakistan by 19 runs in Nisshin, supported by Abhishek Sharma's 61 off 28 balls and key contributions from Tilak Varma. Meanwhile, the men's hockey team, captained by Harmanpreet Singh, defeated Malaysia 5-1 in the final at Kakamigahara, securing direct qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
In wrestling, Olympic bronze-medallist Aman Sehrawat captured gold in the men's 57kg category, while Antim Panghal earned a silver medal in the women's 53kg category. Although India fell short of its previous haul of 106 medals, the 85-medal campaign capped a highly successful outing for the delegation.
Reporting sourced from The Hindu Sport. Photo courtesy The Hindu Sport.