Asian Games 2026: India Finish Fourth With 85 Medals, But the Gold Rush Comes Too Late
Parveen Hooda won Gold Medal in women's 65kg gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 (Image Rijiju on X)
By AMIT KUMAR
Cricket, hockey, wrestling and archery deliver a late surge as India match their best-ever Asian Games ranking but fall short of the medal record set in Hangzhou.
New Delhi, October 4, 2026 — India have concluded their Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games campaign with 85 medals, including 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronzes, finishing fourth in the continental competition. The final tally underlines India’s growing depth across sports but also exposes the gap between accumulating medals and consistently winning gold.
The result is significant, though not without disappointment. India matched their fourth-place finish at Hangzhou in 2023 but fell well short of the 107 medals recorded there. The 2026 campaign nevertheless ranks among the country’s strongest performances at the Asian Games, with 21 gold medals representing its second-highest gold tally at a single edition.
The closing phase provided the biggest boost. India’s men’s cricket team defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the T20 final on October 3, completing a memorable title defence. Abhishek Sharma struck 61, while Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 51 off just 22 deliveries as India posted 211 for six before restricting Pakistan to 192 for six. India’s women had also won the cricket gold, giving the country a double triumph in the sport.
Hockey delivered another defining moment. The men’s team defeated Malaysia 5-1 to retain the Asian Games title and secure qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. The women’s team also captured gold after defeating defending champions China 1-0, ending a 44-year wait for the title. These victories reinforced hockey’s importance to India’s sporting identity and Olympic ambitions.
Wrestling and archery added to the late momentum. Aman Sehrawat won men’s freestyle gold, while Sujeet Kalkal produced a dramatic comeback earlier in the competition to claim the 65kg title. Seventeen-year-old Kumkum Mohod made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win individual recurve gold at the Asian Games. India’s women’s recurve team also ended South Korea’s 28-year dominance of the event.
Yet the broader picture calls for reflection. China remained comfortably on top, with Japan and South Korea completing the leading three. India’s fourth-place finish reflects competitive strength, but the fall from its previous medal record raises questions about consistency, preparation and the conversion of podium finishes into gold.
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