The Asian Games 2026 will begin in Aichi-Nagoya in Japan, as the opening ceremony will take place on September 19. The Indian contingent will, like every edition, be eyeing some medals. India will be represented by 499 athletes at the continental competition. The squad includes 267 male and 232 women athletes across 36 sports disciplines. India finished with a record medal haul of 106 (28 gold, 38 silver and 40 bronze) in the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2022, and will be aiming to go big and break this all-time record in Japan.
Here we take a look at the 10 biggest gold medal prospects for India at the Asian Games 2026
1. Men’s and Women’s Teams (Cricket)
Defending champions from Hangzhou, both cricket teams representing India are clear favourites for double gold. The men’s team led by Shreyas Iyer is the world No. 1 in the format, having won two back-to-back T20 World Cups in 2026. The women, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, have won three of the last four continental tournaments they entered. They enter the Asian Games on the back of a dominating trophy win at the Women’s Asia Cup 2026.
2. Men’s and Women’s Teams (Hockey)
Fresh off consecutive Olympic bronze medals, the men’s hockey team remains the premier force in Asia. In the last Asian Games, they scored an incredible 68 goals while conceding only nine on the way to winning the gold medal. The women’s side enters the competition with renewed vigour under head coach Sjoerd Marijne, having emerged as the best Asian side in the recently concluded Women’s Hockey World Cup, finishing fifth.
3. Men’s and Women’s Teams (Kabaddi)
Kabaddi is historically the safest bet for gold medals, with the nation winning a record 11 of the 13 gold medals ever contested at the Asian Games. In Hangzhou, both the men’s and women’s teams clinched gold in thrilling finals against Iran and Chinese Taipei. With deep bench strength and unmatched experience this time as well, both squads are overwhelming favourites to maintain their continental stranglehold.
4. Manu Bhaker (Shooting)
Manu Bhaker created history at the Paris Olympics by winning two bronze medals, and she brings that elite momentum to Nagoya. A proven winner, Bhaker has multiple World Cup and Asian Games golds already to her name. Competing in both the 10m air pistol and 25m pistol events, she gives India two genuine shots at gold.
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5. Jyothi Surekha Vennam (Archery)
Jyothi Surekha Vennam established herself as the premier compound archer of India er historic sweep of three gold medals in the Asian Games 2022. Ranked consistently among the top three archers in the world, she averages an incredible score of 148 out of a possible 150 points in elimination matches. She is undoubtedly the undisputed best athlete overall in compound archery at the Asian Games 2026, and a massive shot at gold medals for India in both single and team events.
6. Avinash Sable (Athletics)
With Neeraj Chopra not in the mix because of injury, the biggest prospect in athletics for a gold medal might be Avinash Sable. Sable is the undisputed king of the 3000m steeplechase in Asia. He won gold at the last Asian Games with a record-shattering time of 8:19.50, and holds the national record of 8:09.91. That makes him roughly six to eight seconds faster than any other competitor in Asia today.
7. Mirabai Chanu (Weightlifting)
The Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu has won nearly every major prize in weightlifting except the Asian Games gold, and she is determined to complete the set. Competing in the 49kg category, Chanu regularly totals over 200kg across her lifts, including a clean and jerk personal best of 119kg. That benchmark is routinely 10 to 15 kilograms ahead of most Asian rivals, guaranteeing her a strong push for the gold medal at Aichi-Nagoya.
8. Anahat Singh (Squash)
18-year-old squash prodigy Anahat Singh heads to Japan as the newly crowned World Junior Champion. Seeded third in the women’s singles draw, she is a massive gold medal prospect. Known for her fearless, attacking style, Anahat already holds two Asian Games bronze medals from Hangzhou. With the singles gold offering direct qualification for the LA Olympics 2028, she will be eyeing the top prize
9. Aman Sehrawat (Wrestling)
Winning an Olympic bronze medal at just 21 years old in Paris announced Aman Sehrawat as wrestling’s next global superstar. Competing in the men’s 57kg freestyle division, he is a former Asian champion who averages nearly 10 points per bout with relentless attacking moves. This makes him the standout favourite to grab wrestling gold at the Asian Games 2026.
10. Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing)
Lovlina Borgohain is one of the most reliable boxers for India, boasting an Olympic bronze, a World Championship gold, and a silver from the last Asian Games. Fighting in the 75kg category, she would be looking to upgrade her medal to gold, especially since she faced disappointment at the Commonwealth Games 2026, where she only finished with a silver.
