India's Medal Count at 2026 Asian Games: A Mixed Bag on Day 8
India's Performance on Day 8
On Sunday, India added seven more medals to its tally at the 2026 Asian Games, but this was insufficient to maintain a position within the top 10 of the medal standings.
By the end of Day 8, India had accumulated a total of 37 medals, consisting of four gold, 16 silver, and 17 bronze, resulting in a drop from 10th to 12th place. This decline occurred despite the seven medals earned, as other competing nations continued to enhance their gold medal counts.
Athletics and Squash Lead the Medal Count
The seven medals secured on Sunday included two silver medals in squash and five medals in athletics, showcasing impressive performances in various track and field events.
Parul Chaudhary stood out by achieving a personal best and national record of 9:08.67, earning a bronze in the women's 3000m steeplechase. This marked her second medal in this event at the Asian Games, following a silver win in 2023. Bahrain's Winfred Yavi took gold with a time of 9:04.36, while Kazakhstan's Norah Jeruto Tanui claimed silver. India's Ankita finished fourth with a personal best of 9:19.24.
In field events, Sarvesh Kushare and Ancy Sojan both earned silver medals, demonstrating strong performances throughout their finals. Sarvesh Kushare cleared 2.25m in the men's high jump but had to settle for silver as Chinese Taipei's Chao Hsuan-Fu won gold. Ancy Sojan also finished second in the women's long jump, with her leap of 6.53m surpassed by China's Huang Yingying, who jumped 6.55m on her final attempt.
Earlier in the day, Harita Bhadra secured a bronze in the women's 200m, clocking in at 23.20 seconds, finishing just ahead of Japan's Ido Abigeirufuka by 0.01 seconds.
Tejaswin Shankar concluded India's athletics medal tally with a bronze in the men's decathlon, accumulating 7,934 points. He finished his campaign on a high note, winning the final event, the 1500m, in 4:33.09. Japan's Yuma Maruyama won gold with 8,123 points, while China's Chen Xinghua took silver with 8,012 points. Shankar's performance was an improvement over his previous Asian Games showing, having crossed the 8,000-point mark earlier this year.
Squash Campaign Concludes with Two Silver Medals
India's quest for a squash singles gold medal continues as Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh both finished as runners-up in their respective finals against Malaysian opponents. Anahat lost to Sivasangari Subramaniam with scores of 11-4, 11-4, 11-7, while Abhay was defeated by Ng Eain Yow with scores of 11-9, 11-5, 11-5.
Despite the losses, Anahat's silver medal is a historic achievement, making her the first Indian woman to reach an Asian Games squash singles final. The match lasted only 27 minutes, with Anahat losing the first two games 4-11 and 4-11, before a more competitive final game ended 7-11.
Abhay, ranked 26th globally, struggled to match the consistency of world No. 17 Eain Yow, who successfully defended his Asian Games title.
Boxing Prospects Brighten
India's chances of securing more medals in boxing improved as Parveen Hooda, Ankush Panghal, and Narender advanced to the semifinals, guaranteeing themselves medals.
The day's results underscored India's challenges in the overall medal standings. Despite the addition of seven medals, the absence of a gold medal allowed other countries to extend their lead. Consequently, India concluded the day with 37 medals, slipping to 12th place in the standings.