The Sports Ministry rescheduled its Asian Games 2026 performance review meeting to October 15. The session, originally set for October 13, got pushed back because Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is in Ahmedabad. Officials will discuss disappointing results in badminton, shooting, and athletics after India finished with 85 total medals.
Sports Ministry to review senior athletes' performances in badminton, shooting and athletics
The Sports Ministry has postponed its one-day meeting with National Sports Federations (NSFs) to assess India's performance at the recently concluded Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, with the review now scheduled for October 15.
The meeting was initially set for October 13 but has been pushed back as Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who will chair the discussions, is currently in Ahmedabad for the BRICS Traditional and Indigenous Sports Demonstration Games.
The meeting is expected to focus on the disappointing performances of several experienced athletes, particularly in badminton, shooting and athletics.
India finished the Asian Games with 85 medals, including 21 gold, well short of its record tally of 106 medals at the previous edition in Hangzhou.
Eleven of India's gold medals came in the final two days of the competition, with archery, boxing, men's and women's hockey, and women's golf contributing significantly to the late surge.
However, several established athletes fell short of expectations.
In badminton, India managed just one bronze medal in the men's team event. Defending men's doubles champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty suffered an opening-round exit, while two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu was also eliminated early.
Shooting, particularly the pistol events, produced disappointing results, with double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker returning without a medal.
Athletics also witnessed a decline in gold medals, from six in Hangzhou to just one in Aichi-Nagoya.
Injuries to prominent athletes, including hurdler Jyothi Yarraji and triple jumper Praveen Chithravel, came to light during the competition, raising questions over fitness assessments ahead of the Games.
India fielded a 501-member contingent at the continental event, which concluded on October 4.
- PTI
Army's 20-medal Asian Games haul raises hopes for LA28 Olympics, says COAS Dhiraj Seth
Chief of Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth expressed confidence that Indian Army athletes could win medals at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics following their performances at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The Army felicitated its medallists at the Manekshaw Centre on Monday after its athletes returned with 20 medals, comprising six gold, eight silver and six bronze.
Seth highlighted the role of the Army's Mission Olympic Wing, established in 2001, in identifying and nurturing sporting talent through specialised training centres and boys' and girls' sports companies.
The programme includes centres for rowing, shooting, equestrian sport and sailing, alongside the Army Sports Institute.
Among the Army's leading performers were distance runner Gulveer Singh, who won two silver medals and a bronze, and trap shooter Neeru Dhanda, who secured two golds and a silver.
Marathon runner Sawan Barwal also claimed silver, becoming the first Indian in 44 years to win an Asian Games marathon medal.
Seth stressed the importance of supporting athletes regardless of results while expressing optimism about their Olympic prospects.
Dhanda, who joined the Army last year, said such felicitation programmes provided valuable opportunities for personal development and learning beyond sporting competitions.
- Team Sportstar
GOLF
DP World India Championship 2026: Bhullar, Kochhar and Kapur face stiff test against McIlroy-led field
Indian golfers Gaganjeet Bhullar, Karandeep Kochhar and Shiv Kapur will face a strong international field, led by six-time Major champion Rory McIlroy, when the USD 4 million DP World India Championship begins at the Delhi Golf Club on Thursday.
The field also features 2026 Open champion Ryan Fox and Major winners Shane Lowry, Patrick Reed, Justin Rose and Danny Willett.
Bhullar enters the tournament after winning last week's Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) event in Hyderabad, where Kochhar finished runner-up. Kapur had finished third at the preceding Delhi event.
Bhullar and Kochhar also secured fourth and tied-fifth finishes, respectively, in Delhi.
"I drove the ball really well, which was crucial on such narrow fairways," Bhullar said after his Hyderabad victory.
An 11-time Asian Tour winner, Bhullar last won on the circuit at the 2023 Indonesian Masters, where Kochhar finished second.
Kochhar's runner-up finish in Hyderabad included a final-round 64. He also finished fourth at the Philippine Golf Championship and tied fifth at the International Series Japan earlier this season.
Kapur brings considerable experience at Delhi Golf Club, having won the Panasonic Open India there in 2017. The former Asian Games gold medallist also won the 2005 Volvo Masters of Asia.