Rishabh Pant Calls for Support for Indian Athletes at Asian Games 2026

Rishabh Pant Encourages Fans to Support Indian Athletes

New Delhi, September 18: Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant has made an appeal to fans nationwide to unite in support of the Indian team participating in the Asian Games 2026, which will take place in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

In a video posted on Instagram, Pant expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming Games and urged fans to cheer for the athletes, regardless of the outcomes.

“I’m really looking forward to the Asian Games. Let’s rally behind our Indian athletes and support them wholeheartedly. No matter the results, let’s give them a big cheer and plenty of encouragement,” Pant stated.

The opening ceremony for the 20th Asian Games is set for Saturday, with double Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker and shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor leading the Indian delegation as flagbearers.

India’s chef de mission, Sahdev Yadav, confirmed Bhaker’s selection, while the Athletics Federation of India later announced Toor as the second flagbearer.

Bhaker, who secured two bronze medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics, will compete in the women’s 10m air pistol, women’s 25m pistol, and the mixed team event in the 10m air pistol. She made history as the first athlete from independent India to win two medals in a single Olympic edition.

Toor aims to clinch his third consecutive gold medal in the men’s shot put, having previously won at the 2018 Jakarta Games and again at Hangzhou in 2023 with a throw of 20.36 meters.

The Asian Games will take place from September 19 to October 4, featuring over 500 Indian athletes competing in 37 sports. Athletes from 45 countries and regions will participate in 43 sports and 469 medal events, with Japan hosting this continental multi-sport event for the third time, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.

India finished fourth in the medal tally at the Hangzhou Games, securing 107 medals, including 28 gold, 38 silver, and 41 bronze, and aims to improve upon that performance in Japan.

The Indian team includes five individual Olympic medalists, although defending javelin throw champion Neeraj Chopra has withdrawn due to an ankle injury.

PV Sindhu will lead India’s badminton efforts, while Mirabai Chanu will head the weightlifting team. Lovlina Borgohain is set to compete in boxing, and Aman Sehrawat will represent India in wrestling.

India’s boxers are arriving after a successful Commonwealth Games, where they achieved a record of 10 medals, including seven golds.

Athletics is expected to play a crucial role in India’s campaign, with over 70 track and field athletes participating. Notable athletes include Gulveer Singh, Tejaswin Shankar, and Olympian Sarvesh Kushare, while Toor aims to continue his shot put success.

India will also strive to defend its titles in men’s and women’s cricket and kabaddi, as well as the men’s hockey championship.

In men’s cricket, Shreyas Iyer will lead the title defense in the T20 format, with young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi included in the squad. The women’s team, also the defending champions, will be captained by T20 leader Harmanpreet Kaur.

The hockey tournaments will hold additional importance, as both the men’s and women’s competitions will serve as qualification events for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The winners will secure direct entry into the Games.

India will also have chances to earn quota spots for LA 2028 in archery, sailing, squash, surfing, and tennis.

The Indian contingent is set to kick off its campaign in Japan, competing across various disciplines as the country aims to maintain the momentum from its record medal haul at Hangzhou.