PT Usha Talks About Commonwealth Games 2030 Bid During Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games

PT Usha Discusses Commonwealth Games 2030 Bid

PT Usha, the President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), engaged in discussions with Donald Rukare, the President of Commonwealth Sport, during the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026. Usha took to social media platform X to share insights from their meeting, which evoked memories of India's participation in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

"Reconnecting with Dr. Donald Rukare was a delightful experience, reminding me of our successful campaign at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games," Usha posted on X. She elaborated that their conversation revolved around India's preparations for hosting the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030 and the strategic direction for the Commonwealth Sport movement. "As India gears up to host the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030, we had a fruitful discussion about the future of Commonwealth Sport and the exciting journey that lies ahead. This marks a significant new chapter for both India and the Commonwealth Sport Movement," she added. The 2030 event will commemorate 100 years since the inaugural Commonwealth Games in 1930.

Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026: India's Performance

In other news, India has already secured a medal in shooting and is assured of another in soft tennis, showcasing impressive performances across various sports such as rowing, canoe sprint, and table tennis during the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026.

Shooting and Soft Tennis Highlights

The Indian women's skeet team, consisting of Raiza Dhillon, Parinaaz Dhaliwal, and Maheshwari Chauhan, clinched a bronze medal by finishing third in the team event with a total score of 331. China took home the gold with 346 points, while Kazakhstan secured the silver.

In soft tennis, Jay Meena made history by ensuring India's first-ever Asian Games medal in the sport after defeating Sherwin Nuguit from the Philippines in a thrilling men's singles quarter-final, winning 4-3 to advance to the semi-finals, where all participants are guaranteed a medal.

Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker finished fifth in the women's 10m air pistol individual final after reaching the medal round, while Suruchi Inder Singh and Esha Singh did not qualify for the final.

Progress in Rowing and Canoe Sprint

India also showed promise in rowing events. Balraj Panwar qualified for the men's single sculls final after finishing third in his heat, while Satnam Singh and Salman Khan advanced to the men's double sculls final by securing second place in their heat.

The men's kayak four 500m team, which includes Harshwardhan Shaktawat, Varinder Singh, L Naocha Singh Oinam, and Arun Singh, qualified for the canoe sprint final after finishing third in Heat 1. Megha Pradeep moved on to the women's canoe single 200m semi-final, and Parvathy Geetha along with Phairembam Soniya Devi qualified for the women's kayak double 500m semi-final.

In rowing, Gurbani Kaur, Aleena Anto, Tendenthoi Haobijam, and Poonam finished sixth overall in the women's four heats, securing a spot in Final A. Jaswinder Singh and Nitin Kumar placed fourth in the men's pair heats and will compete in Final B.

Swimming, Table Tennis and Sepaktakraw Results

In swimming, Benedicton Beniston finished 13th overall in the men's 100m butterfly heats, while Sajan Prakash did not participate in the event. Vedaant Madhavan and Aneesh Sunil were unable to advance from the men's 200m freestyle heats, finishing 19th and 17th, respectively.

Indian paddlers also achieved victories in mixed doubles. Harmeet Desai and Yashaswini Ghorpade triumphed over Maldives' Mohamed Ismail and Fathimath Ali, while Manush Shah and Diya Chitale defeated Sri Lanka's Chanul Kulappuwawadu and Bimandee Swarna.

In sepaktakraw, India won against the Philippines 2-1 in the men's team regu Group B match but did not qualify for the next stage.