India Secures 85 Medals at Asian Games 2026 with Golden Sweep
India finishes 4th at the Asian Games 2026 with 85 medals, securing a golden sweep in cricket, hockey, and kabaddi.
India concluded its campaign at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with a formidable haul of 85 medals. While the total count fell short of the 106 medals achieved in Hangzhou in 2023, the 2026 edition was defined by absolute dominance in key team sports, where India achieved a historic clean sweep of gold medals in cricket, kabaddi, and hockey.
Finishing fourth in the overall standings, India amassed 21 gold, 27 silver, and 37 bronze medals. The tournament was dominated by China, which secured 341 medals, followed by host nation Japan in second place and South Korea in third.
A Golden Triple: Cricket, Kabaddi, and Hockey Dominance
The highlight of the Indian campaign was the flawless performance in the three major team disciplines where both men's and women's squads competed. India returned home with six gold medals across these categories.
Cricket: The Golden Double
India's cricket contingent achieved a perfect record. The women's team secured their gold with an emphatic 147-run victory over Sri Lanka. The men's team followed suit, clinching the title after a high-pressure final against arch-rivals Pakistan, winning by 19 runs. Key performances from Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, and Axar Patel ensured the men's side maintained India's supremacy on the pitch.
Kabaddi: Defending the Throne
In the kabaddi arena, India proved once again to be the powerhouse of Asia. The women's team successfully defended their title with a hard-fought 37-34 win against Iran. The men's team also overcame Iran, coming from behind to win 40-34. This victory marked India's ninth gold in ten editions of men's kabaddi at the Asian Games, a streak interrupted only once in 2018.
Hockey: Historic Double Gold and Olympic Qualification
Hockey provided perhaps the most emotional moments of the Games. The women's team ended a staggering 44-year drought to win an Asian Games medal, defeating China 1-0 thanks to a 10th-minute goal by Lalremsiami. This marked India's first women's hockey gold at the Asian Games since 1982.
The men's team mirrored this success with a dominant 5-1 victory over Malaysia, defending their title and securing their fifth men's gold. Crucially, this was the first time in history that both the Indian men's and women's hockey teams won gold in the same edition. Furthermore, both teams have officially qualified for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Archery: The Rise of Kumkum Mohod
Archery emerged as a powerhouse discipline for India, matching the record nine-medal haul from the previous Games. The tally included five gold, two silver, and two bronze medals across 10 events.
Seventeen-year-old Kumkum Mohod became the breakout star of the Games. The teenager from Amravati made history by becoming the first Indian to win an individual recurve gold at the Asian Games, defeating South Korea's Oh Yejin in a dramatic shoot-off. Her clinical performance in the shoot-off—responding to an eight with a perfect 10—not only secured the gold but also earned India a quota place for the LA 2028 Olympics.
Mohod's success was part of a broader archery triumph, which included:
- Gold in the women's recurve team event.
- Silver in the mixed recurve team event alongside Dhiraj Bommadevara.
- Three team gold medals and an individual bronze in the compound category.
- A bronze medal for Neeraj Chauhan in the men's individual recurve event.
The archery campaign was remarkably consistent, securing medals in every single recurve event contested.
Boxing: A Record-Breaking Campaign
India also saw exceptional success in boxing, which delivered its best-ever Asian Games campaign in terms of gold medals, securing three titles and contributing significantly to the overall medal tally.