Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], October 4, 2026: The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 came to a colorful close in Japan, marking the end of a memorable 20th edition of Asia’s premier continental multi-sport event Sunday, October 4.
India signed off from the 2026 Asian Games with a haul of 85 medals, with gold-medal triumphs in cricket, kabaddi and hockey providing some of the defining moments of a campaign that also featured record-breaking performances, maiden podium finishes and historic individual achievements.
The ceremony showcased the rich cultural heritage of Japan through a mix of traditional dance, music and contemporary performances. Athletes from different nations gathered together, waving their national flags, proudly displaying their medals and bidding farewell to the Games, as per Olympics.com.
Trap shooter Neeru Dhanda carried the Indian tricolour at the closing ceremony. Dhanda earned the honor after a remarkable performance where she won two gold medals and a silver. The 27-year-old was among four Indian athletes to finish the Games with three medals, alongside archer Kumkum Mohod, distance runner Gulveer Singh and quarter-miler Vithya Ramraj.
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Dhanda also scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to win an individual Asian Games gold in trap shooting. She then teamed up with Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer to secure silver in the women’s team event.
She completed her medal haul by partnering Kynan Chenai to win gold in the mixed team trap event. Indian shooters finished the Games with 15 medals — three gold, eight silver and four bronze.
Speaking about her stint at the Asian Games, Dhanda, quoted in Olympics.com, said “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.”
India finished fourth in the overall medal standings with 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze medals. China dominated the Games with 341 medals, including 169 gold, followed by hosts Japan with 269 medals, including 83 gold. South Korea finished third with 150 medals, including 39 gold.
India’s 85-medal haul fell short of its record 106-medal tally, including 28 golds, at the 2023 Hangzhou Games. However, the campaign was marked by several landmark achievements across disciplines.
The biggest success came in the three team sports in which India competed in both the men’s and women’s events — cricket, kabaddi and hockey — with the country completing a clean sweep of gold medals across all six competitions.
In cricket, India completed a golden double after the women’s team won the title before the men’s side defeated arch-rivals Pakistan by 19 runs in the final.
The men’s team, powered by contributions from Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma and Axar Patel, added the gold to the women’s team’s emphatic 147-run victory over Sri Lanka in the women’s final.
Kabaddi produced another clean sweep. India’s women defeated Iran 37-34 in a closely fought final to successfully defend their title, while the men’s team came from behind to beat Iran 40-34.
The men’s gold was India’s ninth in 10 editions since kabaddi became a men’s team sport at the Asian Games in 1990. The only exception came in 2018, when India won bronze.
The women’s team, meanwhile, continued its dominance since the sport’s introduction to the women’s programme in 2010.
Hockey completed India’s clean sweep in the team sports. The women’s team ended a 44-year wait for an Asian Games medal by defeating China 1-0 in the final, with Lalremsiami scoring the decisive goal in the 10th minute.
The victory was India’s first women’s hockey gold at the Asian Games since 1982. The men’s team followed with a 5-1 win over Malaysia in the final, successfully defending its Asian Games title. It was India’s fifth men’s hockey gold after victories in 1966, 1998, 2014 and 2022, and the first time the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams won gold at the same edition.
With these wins, India’s men’s and women’s hockey teams qualified for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, booking their seats successfully.
The next Asian Games will be played in Doha, Qatar in 2030.