Prime Minister Modi Celebrates Indian Athletes' Success at Asian Games 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently met with the Indian contingent for the Asian Games 2026, celebrating their impressive performance. The event featured the women's cricket team, which won gold, and included heartfelt exchanges of signed jerseys and gifts. India secured fourth place in the medal standings, achieving a total of 85 medals, including historic wins in various sports. This gathering not only honored the athletes but also highlighted significant milestones in Indian sports history. Discover more about the achievements and the inspiring moments from this memorable event.

By Narendra Chaudhary Oct 16, 2026, 00:22 IST

Celebrating Athletic Achievements

On October 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the Indian contingent for the Asian Games 2026 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi. This gathering brought together athletes, coaches, and officials to celebrate India's achievements at the continental multi-sport event.

The Indian women's cricket team, fresh from their gold medal victory at the Aichi-Nagoya Games in Japan, also participated in the event after arriving from Raipur. Veteran player Harmanpreet Kaur presented a signed jersey to the Prime Minister as a token of appreciation.

During the interaction, athletes honored the Prime Minister with signed jerseys, a hockey stick, and a shawl. Both the men's and women's hockey teams presented jerseys, with women's captain Salima Tete gifting a hockey stick to Modi.

Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya attended the event, sitting among the athletes. Also present were Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha.

The event included members of the Indian contingent, their coaches, support staff, IOA officials, and representatives from National Sports Federations and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

India achieved a commendable fourth place in the medal tally at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, securing a total of 85 medals: 21 gold, 27 silver, and 37 bronze. This marked India's second consecutive top-five finish at the event.

The contingent celebrated several remarkable milestones, including gold medals for both men's and women's hockey teams in the same edition, historic achievements in recurve archery, and India's first medals in soft tennis and mixed martial arts (MMA).

Additionally, India earned its inaugural gold medal in the women's trap event, while a silver in weightlifting ended a 28-year drought for medals in that discipline at the Asian Games. A silver in Greco-Roman wrestling also marked a significant achievement, concluding a 64-year wait for an Indian finalist in that category.