85 Medals and a Historic Hockey Double: India's Asian Games 2026 in Numbers

Two weeks of early alarms and nervous finishes are over. The Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, closed on 4 October, and India heads home with 85 medals: 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze, good enough for fourth place behind China, hosts Japan and South Korea.

It's a smaller haul than India's record 107 medals at Hangzhou 2023, but this edition will be remembered for its moments: historic firsts, back-to-back titles and a last day to savour.

Hockey makes history

For the first time ever, India won gold in both the men's and women's hockey competitions at the same Asian Games. The women beat China 1-0 to claim their first Asian Games title in 44 years. The men followed by thrashing Malaysia 5-1, defending their crown and winning back-to-back golds for the first time. Both teams also booked direct places at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Three golden doubles

• Hockey: men's and women's gold, as above.
• Cricket: both Indian teams retained their titles. The men beat Pakistan by 19 runs in a high-scoring final, posting 211 for 6 thanks to quickfire half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma. Along the way, Ishan Kishan became only the second Indian, after Suryakumar Yadav, to score 1,000 T20I runs in a calendar year.
• Kabaddi: the men and women both beat Iran in their finals to keep the titles they won in 2023.

Stars who made their own history

• Kumkum Mohod, archery: just 17, she became the first Indian woman to win the individual recurve title at the Asian Games, sealing it with a perfect 10 in a nerve-shredding shoot-off against South Korea. Her win also earns India an Olympic quota place for LA 2028. India also swept all three compound team titles, and the women's team equalled the world record with a score of 238.
• Pranavi Urs, golf: the first Indian woman to win an individual golf gold at the Asian Games, ending India's 24-year wait for an individual golf title.

India saved some of its best for the final day, collecting five golds in five different sports.

What this means for you

• Next up, the Asian Para Games: India is sending 121 athletes across six sports to the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya from 18 to 24 October. Japan is six hours ahead of Cyprus until the clocks change on 25 October, so morning events in Japan happen in the early hours here. Set an alarm for the big finals.
• Get the kids playing: hockey, archery and golf all produced Indian heroes this year. If your children are inspired, look for local clubs and coaching in Cyprus, and keep cricket in mind too.
• Celebrate together: a hockey double, a cricket win over Pakistan and teenage champions are all good reasons for a community get-together. Planning one? Let us know and we'll add it to our Events page.

Read also: Howzat, Cyprus! Where to Play, Watch and Cheer for Cricket on the Island and Chak de India! India's proudest moments since 2014

Sources: Olympics, DeccanHerald, Olympics2, Babushahi, Olympics3, Sportskeeda, Olympics4, Olympics5, SundayGuardian