Asian Games 2026: India Schedule, Fixtures, Sports, Athletes, Medal Chances & How to Watch

Asian Games 2026 will be the 20th edition of the continental multi-sport event, scheduled to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, 2026. Sporting action will actually begin 9 days early on September 10, with cricket and football qualifiers.

For India, this is a mission to go beyond Hangzhou. In 2023 (held in 2023), India won a record 107 medals (28 Gold, 38 Silver, 41 Bronze) – the first time crossing 100. In Aichi-Nagoya, the target is tougher due to stricter selection criteria and doping setbacks.

Asian Games 2026 Overview

• Host: Aichi-Nagoya, Japan (Nagoya City, Toyota, Okazaki and 16 other cities in Aichi Prefecture)
• Dates: September 19 – October 4, 2026. Competition starts Sept 10.
• Opening Ceremony: September 19 at Paloma Mizuho Stadium, Nagoya
• Closing Ceremony: October 4
• Sports: 41 sports, 59 disciplines – Including new additions like MMA, Teqball, and Esports (eFootball, Puyo Puyo, Pokémon UNITE, League of Legends)
• Mascot: Honohon – a Shachihoko (mythical fish-tiger)

Asian Games 2026 India Schedule – Key Fixtures

India’s campaign begins on September 17 with Teqball, but the main action starts from Sept 18.

CRICKET (Defending Champions in both):

• Women’s: Sept 18 (Quarter-final) – India vs Japan (direct entry to quarters)
• Women’s Semi: Sept 20 | Final: Sept 22 at Korogi Athletic Park
• Men’s: Sept 28 (Quarter-final) – India vs Group A Runner-up
• Men’s Semi: Oct 1 | Final: Oct 3

HOCKEY (Men Defending Champions):

• Men’s: Sept 20 vs Indonesia, Sept 22 vs Sri Lanka, Sept 24 vs Korea, Sept 26 vs Japan, Sept 28 vs Bangladesh
• Semi: Oct 1 | Final: Oct 3
• Women’s: Sept 20 vs Uzbekistan, Sept 21 vs Indonesia, Sept 23 vs Thailand, Sept 25 vs Japan, Sept 27 vs Singapore
• Semi: Sept 30 | Final: Oct 2

KABADDI (Defending Champions):

• Starts Sept 21: India vs Japan (Men), Bangladesh vs India (Women)

BADMINTON (Sept 20-29 at Ichinomiya):

• Team events: Sept 20-24
• Individual finals: Sept 29 – Satwik/Chirag will defend gold

ATHLETICS (Sept 24-29 – Biggest Contingent):

• 77 athletes (34 Men, 43 Women) – largest Indian contingent
• Key finals: Men’s 100m Final (Sept 25), Men’s Javelin Final (Sept 28), Women’s 3000m Steeplechase (Sept 27), Relays (Sept 29)

SHOOTING (Sept 26 – Oct 3):

• Contingent cut to just 30 athletes (15M/15W) due to quota caps

WRESTLING, BOXING, ARCHERY: Finals in last week – Oct 1-3

Asian Games 2026 Sports List: Where India Will Compete

India is expected to compete in 32+ sports including: Athletics, Archery, Badminton, Boxing, Cricket, Hockey, Kabaddi, Wrestling, Shooting, Weightlifting, Squash, Tennis, Table Tennis, Rowing, Sailing, Equestrian, Golf, Judo, Kurash, MMA, Esports, and new Olympic sports like Breaking.

Top Indian Athletes to Watch

This is a very different squad from Hangzhou:

Athletics: The BIG blow – Neeraj Chopra is OUT with an injury. The defending Asian Games javelin champion (Jakarta 2018 & Hangzhou 2022) is not in the team. Hopes shift to Avinash Sable (Steeplechase), Parul Chaudhary (5000m), Murali Sreeshankar (Long Jump – silver in 2022), and Annu Rani (Javelin).

Badminton: Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu headlines. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy / Chirag Shetty – defending gold medallists, coming off China Masters title, are India’s best gold hope.

Shooting: Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker leads. Rudrankksh Patil (10m Air Rifle + 50m 3P) could be the star.

Weightlifting: Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu leads 5-member squad.

Wrestling: Paris 2024 bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat is the face, but India has lost 3 wrestlers due to doping.

Boxing: Coming off record 10 medals (7 Gold) at Commonwealth Games 2026, India has high hopes. Lovlina Borgohain and Sakshi Chaudhary lead.

Squash, Chess, Kurash: Strong medal chances in non-traditional sports.

Medal Chances: Can India Cross 107?

Realistic Target: 95-110 medals. It will be tougher than Hangzhou for 3 reasons:

Positives:

• Shooting remains India’s engine. Even without 22 medals like last time, it will deliver 15-18 medals.
• Athletics will still be the biggest producer despite no Neeraj.
• Badminton Men’s Doubles, Men’s Hockey, Kabaddi (both), Cricket (both), Compound Archery are strong gold contenders.
• Boxing form is excellent after Glasgow CWG.

Negatives / Challenges:

• No Neeraj Chopra – a guaranteed gold lost.
• Doping Crisis: As per latest reports, 12 Indian athletes have been suspended by NADA ahead of Asian Games, including 3 wrestlers and a 17-year-old swimmer. This leaves weight divisions unrepresented and gaps that cannot be refilled as registration is closed.
• Tougher Competition: China, Japan (hosts), Korea are fielding full-strength teams.

Business Standard analysis says: “Shooting need not match its 22-medal Hangzhou haul to remain India’s biggest medal engine.” Athletics with 77 athletes will still drive the tally.

New Rules & Major Setbacks for India

The Sports Ministry has imposed strict selection criteria for 2026:

Only athletes ranked Top 6 in Asia for individual sports and Top 8 for team sports will be cleared. Only athletes with a “real chance of winning medals” will be allowed.

Also, No personal coaches or support staff, even at own cost, for Asiad & CWG 2026. This has upset many federations.

End Of My Asian Games 2026 How to Watch LIVE In India?

• TV Channel: Sony Sports Network (Sony Sports Ten 2, Ten 3) – Official broadcaster
• Live Stream: SonyLIV App & Website (Subscription required), DD Sports for key India matches
• Live Updates: Olympics.com, JioCinema highlights
• Timings: Japan is 3.5 hours ahead of IST. Most finals will be in afternoon IST (e.g., Athletics finals around 3:30 PM – 6:30 PM IST)