Aichi-Nagoya, Sept 21:
India enjoyed a highly productive Day 2 at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, with shooting providing three medals and mixed martial arts adding another bronze to the country’s tally.
The biggest highlight came in the men’s 10m air rifle event, where India secured a double podium finish in the individual final. Himanshu Dhillon won the silver medal, while Rudrankksh Patil claimed bronze. Earlier, Dhillon and Patil had joined Parth Mane to win the silver medal in the men’s 10m air rifle team event.
India also secured a bronze medal in women’s traditional 60kg mixed martial arts through Suchika Tariyal. She lost her semi-final bout to Singapore’s Hui Hoon Teo in a closely fought contest. The Indian contingent appealed the decision, but the appeal was not overturned, leaving Tariyal with the bronze.
The women’s hockey team produced another commanding performance, thrashing Indonesia 17-1 in their second Pool B match. It was India’s second consecutive victory in the competition and underlined their strong start to the tournament.
In kabaddi, India began their men’s campaign in style with a 49-24 victory over Japan in their Group A encounter. The Indian team controlled the match and made a strong start to its Asian Games campaign.
The women’s table tennis team also advanced to the quarter-finals as Group F winners after defeating Pakistan 3-0. In badminton, the Indian men’s team began its Round of 16 tie against Bangladesh with a 3-0 lead.
In swimming, Srihari Nataraj qualified for the men’s 50m backstroke final, while Rishabh Das finished as a reserve. Akash Mani and Gitesh Shah missed out on the men’s 50m freestyle final, while Dhanush Suresh failed to qualify for the men’s 100m breaststroke final.
In soft tennis, Aadhya Tiwari and Jay Meena defeated Cambodia’s Viva Chao and Chanroseka Khun 5-0 in their mixed doubles Group B match before losing 1-5 to South Korea’s Kim Yeon-hwa and Jaekyu Park. In sepaktakraw, Japan defeated India 2-1 in a Group B encounter.
Wushu exponent Nyeman Wangsu finished 15th in the women’s Changquan final as India continued its campaign across several disciplines on a busy second day of the Games.