Indian Army athletes delivered their finest-ever performance at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan (19 September–4 October), winning a record 20 medals. The haul comprised six gold, eight silver and six bronze medals.
Sixty-two Army athletes formed part of India’s approximately 501-strong contingent and competed across 15 disciplines. Their medals accounted for 23.52 per cent of India’s total of 85 medals (21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze), while their six golds represented nearly 29 per cent of the country’s gold tally. India finished fourth overall. The Army’s gold-medal count marked a 100 per cent increase over its three golds at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou (2023). Army representation in the contingent rose to 12.6 per cent from 9 per cent in 2023.
Standout Performers
Naib Subedar Neeru Dhanda emerged as one of the Games’ leading figures. She won two gold medals and one silver in trap shooting—individual women’s trap gold, mixed trap gold (with Kynan Chenai) and women’s trap team silver. She became the first Indian woman to claim an individual Asian Games gold in women’s trap and set an Asian Games record with a qualification score of 118 out of 125.
Naib Subedar Gulveer Singh returned with two silver medals and one bronze in athletics (silver in the men’s 10,000 m and 1,500 m, and bronze in the 5,000 m). He became the first Indian male track-and-field athlete to win three individual medals at a single edition of the Asian Games.
Havildar Sawan Barwal secured silver in the men’s marathon with a national record time of 2:11:37, ending a 44-year wait for an Indian medal in the event (the previous medal came at the 1982 Delhi Asian Games).
Subedar Dhiraj Bommadevara set a national and Asian Games record of 698 out of 720 in the men’s recurve archery qualification round. He also contributed to silver medals in the men’s recurve team and mixed team events.
Havildar Kamaljeet partnered Suruchi Singh to gold in the 10 m air pistol mixed team event, setting an Asian Games record of 484.6.
In rowing, Naib Subedar Salman Khan (with Satnam Singh) won bronze in the men’s double sculls—India’s first-ever Asian Games medal in the event.
Havildar Ankush Panghal (6 Grenadiers) claimed gold in the men’s 80 kg boxing category, becoming the first Indian male boxer to win an Asian Games gold since Amit Panghal in 2018. Army boxers overall secured three medals (one gold and two bronze).
Nine women Army athletes contributed two gold medals and one silver, accounting for 15 per cent of the Army’s total medals and 33 per cent of its golds. Shooting saw a marked improvement, with four Army shooters (up from one in 2023) winning three golds and one silver.
Broader Context
The results underscore the strength of the Indian Army’s sporting ecosystem, including the Mission Olympics Wing, Army Sports Institute and structured support for athletes. Several Army personnel set national or Asian Games records and delivered historic firsts for India.
These achievements reflect disciplined preparation and the Army’s long-standing contribution to India’s sporting excellence. The contingent’s performance has reinforced the role of defence personnel in elevating the nation’s standing at major multi-sport events.
