Asian Games 2026: India’s 85 Medals Tell a Story of Historic Golds & a Smaller Haul

Trap shooter Neeru Dhanda carried the Indian tricolour as the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games drew to a close on Sunday, bringing down the curtain on a campaign that delivered 85 medals, historic individual breakthroughs and a sweep of six golds across cricket, kabaddi and hockey.

India finished fourth with 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze medals. The tally fell short of the record 106 medals, including 28 golds, won at Hangzhou 2023, but included landmark victories and Olympic qualification for both hockey teams.

At Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, athletes gathered for a closing ceremony themed “One Asia”. Traditional Japanese dance and music shared the programme with contemporary performances, parkour and laser displays as the continent’s sporting attention turned towards Doha 2030.

THREE MEDALS, THEN THE FLAG

Dhanda’s selection as flagbearer followed a debut Asian Games campaign that brought her two gold medals and a silver.

The 27-year-old became the first Indian woman to win individual trap gold at the Games. She then joined Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer to take women’s team silver before partnering Kynan Chenai to win the mixed team title.

“To go back from my very first Asian Games with three medals, two of them gold and one silver, all with records, is truly special. I could not have asked for anything more,” Dhanda said, according to Olympics.com.

She was one of four Indian athletes to win three medals at Aichi-Nagoya, alongside archer Kumkum Mohod, distance runner Gulveer Singh and quarter-miler Vithya Ramraj.

Indian shooters contributed 15 medals overall: three gold, eight silver and four bronze.

SIX FINALS, SIX GOLDS

India’s biggest collective success came in cricket, kabaddi and hockey, where both the men’s and women’s teams won gold.

The women’s cricket team beat Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final. The men completed the double with a 19-run victory over Pakistan, with contributions from Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma and Axar Patel.

Kabaddi delivered two closely contested title victories against Iran. India’s women won 37–34 to defend their crown, while the men recovered from a deficit to prevail 40–34.

The men’s victory secured India’s ninth gold in 10 editions since men’s kabaddi entered the Asian Games programme in 1990. The only interruption came in 2018, when India finished with bronze.

HOCKEY GOLD ENDS A 44-YEAR WAIT

The women’s hockey team delivered one of the campaign’s defining results, defeating China 1–0 to win its first Asian Games gold since 1982.

Lalremsiami scored the decisive goal, ending a 44-year wait for the title.

The men followed with a 5–1 victory over Malaysia, successfully defending their crown and claiming India’s fifth Asian Games men’s hockey gold.

It was the first time India’s men’s and women’s hockey teams had won gold at the same edition. Both victories also secured qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

FOURTH PLACE, BEHIND ASIA’S BIG THREE

China led the final standings with 341 medals, including 169 gold. Hosts Japan finished second with 269 medals and 83 gold, while South Korea placed third with 150 medals, including 39 gold.

India’s fourth-place finish combined team titles with individual milestones, although its overall tally was 21 medals below the Hangzhou record and included seven fewer golds.

Dhanda’s breakthrough in trap shooting and the women’s hockey team’s return to the top of the podium were among the achievements that distinguished the campaign.

FROM NEW DELHI 1951 TO DOHA 2030

The closing ceremony connected the Games’ origins with their next destination.

The historic torch and flag from the inaugural Asian Games, held in New Delhi in 1951, were paraded into the stadium before being presented to the Qatari delegation.

The Olympic Council of Asia flag was also handed over to Qatar, with Olympic champion and three-time world high jump champion Mutaz Barshim receiving it as Doha prepares to host the 2030 Games.

Volunteers danced alongside athletes during their final gathering in Aichi-Nagoya. For India, Dhanda’s place at the head of the contingent provided a fitting final image: a first-time Asian Games competitor leaving Japan with three medals and the national flag.

With inputs from ANI