India Shines at Asian Games with Multiple Gold Medals in Hockey, Cricket, and More

India's Medal Triumph at the Asian Games

On October 3, India celebrated a remarkable day at the Asian Games, clinching gold medals in men's hockey, T20 cricket, wrestling, golf, and archery, bringing their total medal count to 85, which includes 21 gold, 27 silver, and 37 bronze.

The men's hockey team concluded the day on a high note, overpowering Malaysia with a score of 5-1, successfully defending their title and securing a spot in the 2028 Olympics.

Captain Harmanpreet Singh was instrumental in this victory, scoring two goals at the 11th and 57th minutes, while Jugraj Singh, Hardik Singh, and Shilanand Lakra also contributed to the scoreline. Malaysia's only goal came from Shello Silverius in the 14th minute.

Harmanpreet emerged as the tournament's top scorer with 12 goals, and India dominated the final with 14 penalty corners compared to Malaysia's two.

This victory marked India's fifth gold in men's hockey at the Asian Games, following previous wins in 1966, 1998, 2014, and 2022, making them the second nation after Pakistan to defend the title.

Harmanpreet also made history by becoming the first Indian men's hockey captain to lead the team to two Asian Games gold medals.

This achievement followed the Indian women's team's victory over defending champions China, where they won 1-0, marking their first gold in 44 years and securing an Olympic berth.

For the first time, both Indian hockey teams stood atop the podium at the same Asian Games.

In wrestling, Aman Sehrawat upgraded his bronze from the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games to gold by defeating reigning world champion Chong Song Han of North Korea 10-7 in the men's 57kg final. After a slow start, Sehrawat took control and secured the win with two crucial takedowns.

This victory added to India's wrestling gold tally, following Sujeet Kalkal's win on Friday. In the women's 53kg final, Antim Panghal earned silver after losing to Japan's 2024 world champion Mei Miyooka.

Deepak Punia also contributed with a bronze in the men's 97kg category, edging out Mongolia's Gankhuyang Ganbataar 2-1, concluding India's wrestling campaign with six medals: two gold, two silver, and two bronze.

In cricket, India defended their Asian Games men's T20 title by defeating arch-rivals Pakistan by 19 runs in the final.

Abhishek Sharma set the pace with a stunning 61 off 28 balls, while Tilak Varma remained unbeaten with 51 off 22, leading India to a total of 211/6.

Pakistan's Hasan Nawaz put up a strong fight with 96 off 51 balls, but India's bowlers managed to restrict them to 192/6, marking India's sixth consecutive victory over Pakistan since the 2024 T20 World Cup.

In golf, Pranavi Urs made history as the first Indian woman to win an individual gold medal at the Asian Games. Despite a triple bogey on the third hole, she finished strong with three birdies, concluding her final round at even-par 70.

Pranavi's overall score of 15-under 265 secured her the gold, just one stroke ahead of China's Yin Ruoning, and contributed to India's women's team silver alongside Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar, marking the country's best golf performance in 44 years.

In archery, teenager Kumkum Mohod made history by winning India's first-ever Asian Games individual women's recurve gold medal, defeating South Korea's Oh Yejin 6-5 in a shoot-off.

Kumkum's success also secured India an individual quota place for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with the representative to be determined through selection trials.

Neeraj Chauhan capped off a successful day for Indian archers by winning the men's individual bronze medal, defeating compatriot Dhiraj Bommadevara 6-4 after trailing earlier in the match.

Chauhan's victory made him only the second Indian male archer to win an individual recurve medal at the Asian Games.

Approximately 500 Indian athletes competed at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, which officially began on September 19 and concluded on October 4.

The Asian Games featured 469 medal events across 43 sports and 71 disciplines. In the previous edition at Hangzhou 2023, India had a record-breaking performance with 106 medals, including 28 gold, 38 silver, and 40 bronze, finishing fourth overall.