The real win at the Asian Games

A successful showing in Japan could give India’s 2036 Olympic bid a boost

The 2026 Asian Games begin today at Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, and sportspeople, sports administrators, and fans across India will be closely watching the performance of the 501-strong Indian contingent for two things: one, the number of medals it wins; two, for what the performance of Indians in various disciplines says about how they could do in the 2028 Olympic Games. India’s athletes as well as its millions of sports fans no longer consider qualifying for the national squad a big achievement. Their appetites whetted by some success in the last two Olympics, they are hoping that Indian sportspeople can showcase the country’s growing prowess in sport at the 2028 games.

One of the International Olympic Committee’s main requirements is for the hosts to have enough world-class homegrown athletes. Purely in terms of talent and potential, India does. It will now have to back up this with metal. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

There is a basis for such hopes; between the 2006 Asian Games in Doha and the 2018 Games in Jakarta-Palembang, India’s medal count remained in roughly the same range (50s-70s); then, at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, the final tally reached 106. To put this leap in perspective, India’s highest ever tally before 2010 was 57 medals, won in 1982 as the host. Breaching the 100-medal mark was a big moment but it also raised expectations — and pressure.

Winning medals isn’t an exact science, but fans now demand accountability. Over the last four years, the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition has seen the government spend ₹702.86 crore on athletes. Exposure tours, foreign coaches, camps, sports science, and scheduling are all part of the preparation process. The administrative logjams in Indian sport don’t help but, overall, sportspeople are in a better place.

The Target Olympic Podium scheme (TOPS) ensures that elite athletes are not left wanting for anything — but the return on investment must be medals at top competitions such as the Asian Games. That is why Neeraj Chopra was worth his weight in gold. He rarely disappointed. But with the javelin star missing the games from injury, it will be up to the others to step up. Mirabai Chanu is the established star but there are others as well. Murali Sreeshankar will want this to be a quick, successful pitstop in his Olympic journey. After an injury break, Avinash Sable, will want to reestablish his credentials, while Gulveer Singh will want to cement his growing reputation.

But the challenge at the Asian Games isn’t an equal one. Competition in athletics is at the lower end of the spectrum. That in table tennis, wrestling, shooting, archery, badminton, judo, diving, and weightlifting, on the other hand, is truly world class. Success in any of these will almost instantly make the athlete an Olympic medal contender. This is why the stakes are that much higher for shooter Manu Bhaker, a double Olympic medallist from Paris 2024. Badminton stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are in the same boat as are archers Dhiraj Bommadevara (Recurve) and Jyothi Surekha Vennam (Compound).

As important as the event is for the established stars, it is also a building block for the next generation. Squash player Anahat Singh has made all the right moves for a while; badminton player Ayush Shetty would like to add a few big upsets to his resume; and shooter Esha Singh will like to show that there is more to her red-hot form on the circuit.

A succesful Asian Games could also give India’s 2036 Olympic bid a boost. One of the International Olympic Committee’s main requirements is for the hosts to have enough world-class homegrown athletes. Purely in terms of talent and potential, India does. It will now have to back up this with metal.