New Delhi: The 20th edition of the Asian Games has started in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Two-time Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker and Kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat led the Indian contingent in the athletes parade during the opening ceremony. In this event, which will run from September 19 to October 4, players from 45 countries are taking part in 469 medal events from 43 sports. India is also presenting its challenge in many sports. Know every important information about Asian Games.
India will enter with 503 players
India has sent a contingent of 503 players to the Asian Games. This includes 269 male and 234 female players. 314 players of the team will participate in the Asian Games for the first time. That means about 63 percent players are debuting. 15 year old Vaibhav Suryavanshi is the youngest player of the Indian team, while 55 year old Shruti Vora is the oldest player. Vaibhav will represent India in cricket and Shruti in horse riding. In terms of number of players, there are 79 Indian players in athletics, 40 in hockey, 30-30 in cricket and shooting, 24 in Kabaddi and 22 in rowing.
India’s challenge in 256 events of 36 sports
India will participate in a total of 256 events in 36 out of 43 sports. There are 43 events in athletics, 27 in shooting, 14 in kayaking-canoeing, 11 in track cycling and 7 in badminton. In cricket, both men and women teams will play in T-20 format.
Entry of 6 new games
This time, six sports have become part of the Asian Games as medal sports for the first time. These include mixed martial arts, paddle, surfing, taekball, virtual taekwondo and BMX freestyle.
Mixed martial arts uses techniques such as boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and kickboxing. Teqball is a combination of football and table tennis, while paddle is a racket sport similar to tennis. Motion-tracking and virtual reality technology will be used in virtual taekwondo. In BMX Freestyle, players will earn points based on jumps and different tricks in the air.
At the same time, Dragon Boat, Roller Sports and Mind Sports have been left out of the program this time.
Olympic ticket can be obtained from four sports
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games has been made a qualification pathway in four sports for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. These include archery, hockey, squash and tennis.
In squash, the champions of men’s and women’s singles will get Olympic quota. Men’s and women’s champions in hockey can also achieve Olympic quota, although the qualification rules of the respective sport will apply.
Rs 703 crore spent on preparations
India has spent around Rs 703 crore on preparations for the Asian Games from November 2023 to August 2026. In this, Rs 252 crore was spent on international competitions, Rs 118 crore on domestic training and national coaching camps, Rs 89 crore on sports equipment, Rs 86 crore on foreign coaches and support staff and Rs 40 crore on foreign training.
50 foreign experts and coaches have also been added in 30 sports. These include 14 experts in athletics, 8 in hockey and 5 in shooting.
Keep an eye on these players
India’s hopefuls include names like Anahat Singh, Isha Singh, Jyoti Surekha Vennam, Gulveer Singh, Avinash Sable, Parul Choudhary, Ansi Sojan, Mirabai Chanu and Aman Sehrawat.
Anahat has been a World Junior Squash Champion. Isha Singh had made a world record in 25 meter pistol in the Munich World Cup. Jyothi Surekha Vennam has won three golds in the 2023 Asian Games.
Gulveer Singh holds the Indian records for 5,000 and 10,000 metres. Avinash Sable and Parul Chaudhary have also won gold in the previous Asian Games. Ansi Sojan broke Anju Bobby George’s 22-year-old Indian long jump record with a jump of 6.88 meters in 2026. Mirabai Chanu won her third consecutive gold at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, while Aman Sehrawat will look to add medals at the Asian level after his Paris Olympics bronze.
India’s record in Asian Games
From 1951 to 2022, India has won 778 medals in the Asian Games. These include 183 gold, 238 silver and 357 bronze. India is ranked fifth in the all-time medal table.
India had crossed the 100 medal mark for the first time in the 2023 Hangzhou Games. The team had won a total of 106 medals including 28 gold, 38 silver and 40 bronze.
Athletics is the most successful sport of India, in which 283 medals have been won. After this there are 80 medals in shooting, 65 in wrestling and 61 in boxing. P.T. Usha is India’s athlete with the most individual Asian Games medal winners. He has 11 medals in his name, which include 4 gold and 7 silver.
Asian Games started from India in 1951
The Asian Games started in the year 1951 from New Delhi. In the first edition, players from 11 countries participated in 6 sports. India has hosted the Asian Games twice so far, in 1951 and 1982. This time, Aichi-Nagoya of Japan is the center of the event, where players from 45 countries are taking part in 469 medal events of 43 sports.
Players will stay in hotels and cruise ships
This time the traditional athlete village has not been built. Hotel, temporary container house and Costa Serena cruise ship will be used for the players. The competitions will be held at 54 venues in Japan. The official theme of the Games is ‘Imagining an Asia’.