New beginnings, new heroes: Women lead India’s charge as a new generation shines in Nagoya | Asian Games 2026 News
As Neeru Dhanda led the Indian contingent out for one last time at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium on Sunday night, it was symbolic of how India’s Asian Games campaign had unfolded over the past two weeks.The women had come to the fore – packing punches, vaulting to new heights, lifting weights, taking aim, towering over opponents with sixes, blazing the track, finding the fairway and hitting the back of the net. India’s final tally of 85 medals, including 21 gold, may represent a drop from the 106 medals and 28 golds won in Hangzhou. But numbers alone cannot tell the story of these Games.There were path-breakers everywhere, athletes who pushed through glass ceilings that had stood for years. The aftermath will bring reviews, reflections, deliberations and reports. But before the analysis begins, it is only fair to celebrate those who made these Games count.For almost 12 days, the Indian gold rush had remained subdued. Then, just as the sun finally began showing up in Nagoya, the floodgates opened. Eleven gold medals came in the final two days, transforming what had threatened to become a disappointing campaign into a collection of stories about guts, resilience and glory.Dhanda, the 26-year-old from Sangatpura in Haryana, had set the tone by winning India’s first individual gold of these Games in the women’s trap event. The women went on to win 11 gold medals, apart from the three secured in mixed events.The contingent had 83 debutants, who accounted for 41 of India’s 85 medals — a clear indication of a changing guard across several sports.But if one athlete were to be picked as the face of that change, it would be difficult to look beyond 17-year-old Kumkum Mohod. The Maharashtra archer won two gold medals and a silver, but her biggest achievement went beyond the medal tally.She ended South Korea’s two-decade domination of the women’s recurve events by becoming the first Indian to win individual recurve gold at the Asian Games. It did not take her long to make the biggest stage of her young career her own.Even her Korean opponent Oh Ye-jin, whom Kumkum beat for the individual gold, was left impressed. “For a 17-year-old, she is very composed and has a very bright future,” Oh said.Another teenager, Prithika Pradeep, also emerged with two gold medals, adding to the sense that a new generation is beginning to announce itself. Pranavi Urs became the first Indian woman to win an Asian Games golf gold.Behind every medal was a story of humble beginnings, survival in sport, societal pressures overcome and personal tragedies endured. That made the successes more than just entries in a medal table.
The comeback girls
They were not newcomers to the big stage. They had competed at the biggest of them all — the Olympics. But Nagoya offered unfinished business.Lovlina Borgohain had contemplated walking away from boxing after a difficult phase post the 2024 Paris Olympics. Instead, she returned to punch her way to gold.Parveen Hooda, returning after a doping ban, produced her own golden comeback. The bronze she had won in Hangzhou and subsequently lost became gold in Nagoya.Mirabai Chanu did not win gold, but her silver in the 49kg category had the weight of a champion’s achievement. It also completed her Asian Games medal collection.
Golden standards
The women’s kabaddi team survived a tense battle against Iran. The women’s hockey team ended a 44-year wait for Asian Games gold. And Harmanpreet Kaur and her team ensured that cricket’s gold returned to India.Among the men, too, there were performances that demanded attention — Aman Sehrawat in wrestling, Ankush Panghal in boxing and Gulveer Singh in long-distance running among them.Yet, for all the celebration, there were glaring blanks. Manu Bhaker, one of India’s biggest sporting heroes, returned without a medal.There were plenty of nearmisses and some disastrous outings. India’s badminton return of a solitary bronze was another disappointment, particularly with a strong men’s doubles combination of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen in the squad.Table tennis also raised questions, while equestrian had its own share of run-ins between administrators and riders, alongside selectionrelated concerns but failed to add to the medal count.
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