New Delhi [India], September 19 (ANI): Since its inception in 1951, the Asian Games has been one of the biggest sporting stages in the world, where some of the all-time greats have shaped their legacies as the legends of the sport, and several up-and-coming talents have used the platform as a launching pad for something much bigger and grander.
With the aspirations and hunger for medals getting higher than ever in India’s evolving sporting ecosystem, Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan is an event of massive significance before the Los Angeles Olympics 2028 and for the Indians, the home Commonwealth Games in 2030. Ahead of the continental meet, let us look at some of India’s brightest medal prospects.
-Esha Singh (shooting)
The ace shooter enters the Asian Games in red-hot form, ranked number one in women’s 25 m pistol shooting and world number two in women’s 10 m air pistol shooting. She secured golds in women’s 25 pistol in ISSF World Cup in Munich and Hangzhou this year. At Munich, she registered a world record score of 43/50 in the final, a proof of her producing her best during the biggest matches.
During the Asian Championships held in the national capital this year, Esha took home the women’s 10 m air pistol gold and 25 m pistol singles competition silver, while also teaming up with Manu Bhaker and Rhythm Sangwan for 25 m pistol team event gold. In the 10 m air pistol team event, she also secured a gold, teaming up with Manu and Suruchi Phogat.
Also a World Championships gold medalist (2023) in mixed team events and a two-time silver medalist at the World Meet, Esha is undoubtedly one of the biggest medal contenders in shooting.
-Mirabai Chanu (weightlifting)
Having won multiple Commonwealth Games gold medals, an Olympics silver medal in the 2021 edition at Tokyo and multiple World Championship medals, including a gold in the 2017 edition in the 48kg, the Indian weightlifting veteran will be aiming to complete the set with her first Asian Games medal, preferably gold. With a 48 kg gold sealed at the Commonwealth Games 2026 Glasgow, Mirabai has momentum by her side.
-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (badminton)
The popular Indian badminton pairing is in red-hot form, having captured the Singapore Open and China Masters titles and having finished runners-up in Thailand this year.
Defeating South Korea’s Choi Sol-gyu and Kim Won-ho in the final, Chirag-Satwiksairaj imprinted their name in history books, bringing home India’s first-ever badminton gold at the Asian Games. With the duo slowly gaining their top form after a series of competitive and injury setbacks, Satwik-Chirag would undoubtedly be one of the first names coming to the mind if one talks about potential medalists for this year’s edition.
-Indian men’s cricket team
The Shreyas Iyer-led side is in red-hot form right now. Having conquered T20Is with back-to-back T20 World Cups with a successful defence at home this year, Team India has for the most part has looked indestructible in T20Is since their drought-breaking win in 2024. With heavy-hitters like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a 15-year-old prodigy, record-breaking centurion Abhishek Sharma, a red-hot Ishan Kishan and pace stalwart Jasprit Bumrah at the heart of the line-up, India are undoubtedly the biggest favourites for a gold medal.
-Indian men’s hockey team
Team India might have finished the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup at eighth position, but the Indian team in the Asian Games is a different gravy altogether, having missed out on the podium only once. The Indian men’s hockey team could make history as they have a chance to defend their gold for the first time ever successfully, and it would lay down for them a red carpet to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics in form of a direct qualification.
-Lovlina Borgohain (boxing)
The 28-year-old boxing star has won medals everywhere, be it a bronze at Olympics, a silver at the Asian Games, a silver at this year’s Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow and multiple World Championship medals, including a gold in 2023.
While sport is really unpredictable, Lovlina’s big-match ability and her hefty resume turns her into a no-brainer medal favourite.
-Tajinderpal Singh Toor (shot put)
Having already won a gold medal in the 2018 and 2022 editions, Tajinderpal Singh Toor could make quite a legacy for himself if he makes it a hat-trick of gold medals at the 2026 edition. The national record holder has already proven himself at the Asian level, and a medal could just be the booster he needs ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics 2028.
-Gurindervir Singh (athletics)
The current men’s 100 m national-record holder (10.09 seconds) has earned comparisons with ‘Flying Sikh’ and athletics legend, the late Milkha Singh, so early on in his career. Despite a set back at the Commonwealth Games (CWG), where he could not make it to the medal rounds despite clocking 10.39 seconds despite having battled an injury before the competition, it would be hard to rule out the rising Punjab sprinting star out of the reckoning, especially considering how setbacks have historically been the fuel to some of best sporting comebacks. Expect some healthy competition with his compatriot Animesh Kujur, with whom he has spent a large time training, competing and trading national records!
-Sujeet Kalkal (wrestling)
Haryana has had a tradition of producing some of the best wrestlers not only in India, but the world. In the era of protein powders and fancy diets, it is the ‘desi ghee and choorma’ which has raised the tricolour at the global stage multiple times.
One can expect the 23-year-old Sujeet to carry on that tradition. Having already won 65 kg gold at the Asian Championships this year in Bishkek, and attained success at age-group wrestling with an under-23 gold last year and an under-20 bronze in 2022, Sujeet is no doubt meant for bigger things, and it would not be surprising if Asian Games 2026 takes his career to the next level.
-Anahat Singh (squash)
The teenage squash star is shaping up as one of the most exciting Indian talents across all disciplines. The two-time Asian Games bronze medalist in the 2022 edition is enjoying a rich run of form.
Having won a gold medal in women’s singles competition at the World Squash Junior Championships in July, she has also secured titles in the PSA World Tour circuit, including the Squash on Fire Open, her first PSA bronze-level title, by defeating then Commonwealth Games champion Georgina Kennedy in the final. She also won the JSW Indian Open this year. As part of a historic Squash World Cup-winning team from last year, Anahat has secured a new career-high of world number 17, The 18-year-old’s performances will be watched closely, not only because of how serious of a contender she is for a medal, but also because squash is making its Olympics debut in LA2028. (ANI)
Related reading
