Army Athletes Win 20 Medals at the Asian Games
- 10 Oct 2026
At the recently concluded Asian Games (Aichi-Nagoya 2026), Indian Army athletes delivered their best-ever performance, winning 20 medals, including 6 Gold, 8 Silver, and 6 Bronze.
Key Highlights
- Total Participation: Out of the 501 athletes in the Indian contingent, 62 Army personnel participated across 15 sports disciplines and won 20 medals.
- Share in Total Medals: Army athletes contributed 23.52% to India's total tally of 85 medals, while their 6 Gold medals accounted for 29% of India's 21 Gold medals.
- Increase in Gold Medals: The 6 Gold medals represent a 100% increase compared to the previous Asian Games (Hangzhou 2023).
- Key Performances: Naib Subedar Neeru Dhanda won two Gold medals and one Silver in trap shooting; Naib Subedar Gulveer Singh won two Silver and one Bronze, becoming the first Indian male track-and-field athlete to win three individual medals in a single edition of the Asian Games.
- Progress in Shooting: Army representation in shooting rose from one shooter in 2023 to four in 2026, boosting the medal tally from one Silver to three Gold and one Silver.
- Success in Boxing: Army boxers secured three medals—one Gold and two Bronze.
- National & Asian Records: Havildar Sawan Barwal set a national record in the men's marathon with a time of 2:11:37; Subedar Dhiraj Bommadevara set a national record in men's recurve archery with a score of 698/720.
- Asian Games Records: Havildar Kamaljeet set an Asian Games record in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event with a score of 484.6, while Neeru set an Asian Games record in women's trap shooting with a score of 118/125.
- Historic Medal in Rowing: Naib Subedar Salman Khan won India's first-ever Asian Games medal in the men's double sculls.
- Contribution of Women Athletes: The 62 Army athletes included 9 women, who won two Gold and one Silver medal, contributing 15% of the Army's total medals and 33% of its Gold medals.
