LPU athletes lead 62% of India’s gold medal haul at Asian Games 2026
Lovely Professional University students dominated the 20th Asian Games, securing 28 medals and 62% of India's gold medal count.
The Indian sporting campaign at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya has concluded with a staggering performance from Lovely Professional University (LPU) students. A powerhouse contingent of 32 LPU students secured a total of 28 medals, including 13 gold, 11 silver, and 4 bronze, across nine different sporting disciplines.
The scale of their impact is immense, as these students accounted for 62% of India’s total gold medals, 41% of its silver medals, and 11% of its bronze medals. In total, LPU athletes contributed nearly one-third of India’s entire medal tally at the continental event.
A Historic Moment for Indian Shooting
One of the most significant highlights of the games came from the shooting range. LPU student and Indian trap shooter Neeru Dhanda made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win an individual Asian Games gold medal in trap shooting. Her dominance was further recognized when she was chosen as India’s flag-bearer for the closing ceremony of the Asian Games 2026.
Gold Medal Dominance Across Disciplines
The gold medal surge was driven by exceptional talent in various arenas:
- Archery: Taniparthi Chikitha and Sahil Rajesh Jadhav both secured two gold medals each in compound archery.
- Wrestling: Aman Sehrawat won gold in the men’s freestyle 57 kg category, while Sujeet Kalkal took gold in the men’s freestyle 65 kg event.
- Boxing: Lovlina Borgohain claimed gold in the women’s 75 kg boxing event.
- Athletics: Kiran Pahal was a key member of India’s gold-winning women’s 4×400 m relay team.
Team Sports and Olympic Qualification
The university's influence extended deeply into team sports, which also provided a golden ticket to the future. Three major gold medal victories involving LPU students have secured India’s qualification for the LA 2028 Olympic Games:
- The compound mixed team archery gold earned two quota places.
- The men’s hockey victory (featuring seven LPU students) secured direct qualification.
- The women’s hockey victory (featuring Sakshi Rana) also secured direct qualification.
In cricket, Ishan Kishan was also part of the gold-medal-winning Indian squad.
A Wide Sporting Footprint
While gold took the spotlight, the silver and bronze hauls were equally impressive. Bommadevara Dhiraj, Elavenil Valarivan, and Himanshu Dhillon each earned two silver medals. Other notable performances included Saikhom Mirabai Chanu’s silver in women’s 49 kg weightlifting, and silver medals for Antim Panghal and Nitesh Siwach in wrestling.
The medal distribution across disciplines showed the incredible versatility of the LPU athletes:
- Shooting: 9 medals
- Archery: 6 medals
- Wrestling: 4 medals
- Athletics: 3 medals
- Hockey: 2 medals
- Boxing, Cricket, Rowing, and Weightlifting: 1 medal each
Reflecting on this massive achievement, Ashok Kumar Mittal, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and Founder Chancellor of LPU, stated that the success reflects the university's vision of nurturing talent that brings pride to the nation. He noted that seeing students carry the Indian flag with distinction is a powerful reflection of an ecosystem designed to encourage excellence and national contribution.