Athletics competition has started in the Asian Games 2026, in which 75 players from India are taking part. India has highest medal hopes in athletics only. In the last Asian Games, the athletics team had won 29 medals, which included 6 gold, 14 silver and 9 bronze. The shooting team had won 22 medals including 7 gold in Hangzhou but this time their performance has not been anything special.
So far only 7 medals have been won in shooting and there is not even a single gold in it. The trio of Manu Bhaker, Isha Singh and Suruchi Singh could not win any medal in the 10 meter air pistol event. He was considered a big contender in this competition. The shooting team does not seem to be coming close to its previous performance. In such a situation, now all eyes are on the athletics team. The athletics team is going to start its campaign today (24 September).
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How many medals will be expected from the athletics team?
India has been performing well in athletics in the Asian Games and it is expected that this time also it will not make any mistakes in collecting medals. The target of the 75-member Indian athletics team will be to win 25 to 30 medals. Shot put star Tejinderpal Singh Toor will try to make a historic hat-trick of gold medals, while long jumper Murali Sreeshankar and long distance runner Gulveer Singh will aim to improve upon the medal won last time. India will miss Neeraj Chopra, who is out due to injury.
India's 4×400 meter mixed relay team can open a medal account in athletics, which is a strong contender for a medal in this event. Sprinters Animesh Kujur and Gurinderveer Singh will also participate in their 100m heat races today.
Also read: Asian Games: Roshibina missed out on winning gold in Wushu, had to be content with silver.
Tejinderpal has a chance to create history
If Tejinderpal wins gold medal in this Asian Games, his name will be recorded in the pages of history. He will become the first Indian track and field athlete to win gold medals in 3 consecutive Asian Games in the same event. Great thrower Pradyuman Singh Brar had won 2 gold medals in shot put in the 1954 and 1958 Asian Games and if Tejinderpal wins, he will go ahead of him. However, Pradyuman Singh has 3 gold medals in his name, which includes another gold medal won in discus throw in the 1954 Asian Games.
The Indian record of winning the most gold and total medals in the track and field event of the Asian Games is in the name of PT Usha. He has won 4 gold (all in Seoul 1986) and 7 silver medals.
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Will Murali Sreeshankar win gold?
Murali Sreeshankar had won the silver medal in the last Asian Games and this 27 year old player will aim to win the gold medal this time. He has jumped over eight meters in all seven competitions he has participated in this season. Murali has jumped 8.38 meters this season, which is the best among Asian players.
He may face tough challenge from Yuan Chenlong of China and Anvar Anarov of Uzbekistan. India has also fielded David Solomon, who has been included in the team at the last minute in place of injured Shahnawaz Khan.
Gulveer can win 2 medals
Gulveer will participate in three events 1500 meters, 5000 meters and 10000 meters and he will try to win at least 2 medals. He had won the bronze medal in 10,000 meters in the last Asian Games. National records are registered in his name in both 5000 meters and 10000 meters.
Gulveer will face Ethiopia-born Bahraini Birhanu Balew, who is the current champion, in the 5000 meters race. Gulveer will also have to face a tough challenge in the 10000 meter race, because Japanese runner Mebuki Suzuki is also in the competition.
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Eyes will also be on Avinash Sable
All eyes will also be on Avinash Sable in steeplechase. He is coming out to defend his 3000 meter steeplechase title. However, he has participated in only one competition this season. Avinash had to stay away from the game for a long time after undergoing anterior cruciate ligament surgery last year. He has also been included in the 5000 meters race for the last time, in which he won a silver medal in the last Asian Games. Long jumper Ansi Sojan, who won the silver medal in Hangzhou, has performed best among Asian players this season and is a contender for the gold medal.
Will there be a medal in Javelin Throw in the absence of Neeraj?
Medal hopes are low due to Neeraj Chopra's exclusion from the Men's Javelin Throw event. However, Rohit Yadav and Yashveer Singh would like to give their best. The strong contender to win the gold medal is Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage, who has covered a distance of more than 90 meters thrice this season and his best performance has been 92.62 meters. Pakistan's Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem is also in the race for the medal.
Tejaswin Shankar will get a tough challenge
National record holder decathlon player Tejaswin Shankar will be bracing for tough competition against Japan's Yuma Maruyama, who tops the Asian season charts with 8321 points from 10 events. Commonwealth Games silver medalist long jumper Sarvesh Kushare is also a medal contender. However, he is also suffering from a minor injury. They will also have to face a tough challenge.
Triple jumper Praveen Chitravel and 100m hurdles runner Jyoti Yaraji had won bronze and silver medals respectively in the last Asian Games but both had to deal with minor injuries recently. Vishal TK (400m), Parul Chaudhary (3000m steeplechase), Harita Bhadra (200m) and Pooja Singh (high jump) are the other contenders to win medals.