Aichi-Nagoya: India will begin its athletics campaign at the Asian Games 2026 with several medal contenders in action, led by shot put champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor, who is targeting a historic third consecutive gold medal in the event. Murali Sreeshankar, Gulveer Singh, Avinash Sable and several other Indian athletes will also be among the key names in focus as the athletics programme gets underway.
India’s 75-member athletics contingent will compete across track and field events at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. The team is targeting between 25 and 30 medals, after India’s athletes won 29 medals — six gold, 14 silver and nine bronze — at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.
The athletics campaign begins on Thursday, with Indian athletes competing in several medal events and qualification rounds. The opening day will bring particular attention to Toor, who has the opportunity to create a new record in Indian track and field history.
Tajinderpal Toor targets historic hat-trick
Tajinderpal Singh Toor is chasing a third successive Asian Games gold medal in men’s shot put. If he wins the event in Aichi-Nagoya, he will become the first Indian track and field athlete to win gold at three consecutive editions of the Asian Games in the same event.
Toor previously won gold at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and successfully defended his title at the 2022 Hangzhou Games. A third gold would therefore put him in a select position in India’s Asian Games athletics history.
Legendary Indian thrower Parduman Singh Brar previously won two consecutive Asian Games gold medals in shot put in 1954 and 1958. Brar also won gold in discus throw at the 1954 Games, giving him three athletics gold medals overall.
Toor’s potential third shot put title would therefore represent a significant individual achievement, although it would not surpass Brar’s total of three athletics gold medals.
Murali Sreeshankar seeks gold after Hangzhou silver
Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar is another major Indian name expected to be in contention. Sreeshankar won silver at the 2022 Asian Games and will be looking to move up to the top step of the podium in Japan.
The 27-year-old has produced strong performances during the 2026 season. According to the pre-event report, he has crossed the 8-metre mark in all seven competitions he has participated in this season and has a season-best jump of 8.38 metres.
Sreeshankar will face strong competition from China’s Yuan Chenlong, Uzbekistan’s Anvar Anarov and other leading long jumpers. Chenlong has a season best of 8.33m, while Anarov has recorded 8.29m.
Sreeshankar arrived in Japan early and trained at an acclimatisation camp at the University of Tsukuba near Tokyo before joining the rest of the Indian athletics team.
Gulveer Singh aims to improve medal colour
Long-distance runner Gulveer Singh is another Indian athlete carrying medal expectations. He won bronze in the men’s 10,000m at the 2022 Asian Games and enters the 2026 edition with national records in both the 5,000m and 10,000m events.
Gulveer has been entered in three events — the 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m. His season-best time of 13:03.93 in the 5,000m places him second on the Asian season list, but he faces a challenge from defending champion Birhanu Balew of Bahrain.
The 10,000m will also present a demanding contest, with Japan’s Mebuki Suzuki leading the Asian season list. Gulveer’s season best of 27:24.18 puts him second on the continental rankings heading into the Games.
Avinash Sable returns to defend steeplechase title
Avinash Sable will also be closely watched as he attempts to defend his men’s 3,000m steeplechase gold medal.
Sable won the event at the 2022 Asian Games but has had a limited competitive season after recovering from an injury and undergoing anterior cruciate ligament surgery last year. According to the pre-event report, he had competed only once this season before the Asian Games.
He has also been entered in the 5,000m, where he won silver at the previous Asian Games.
His return adds another experienced championship performer to an Indian athletics team that is looking to maintain its medal contribution from Hangzhou.
India’s javelin hopes continue without Neeraj Chopra
India will compete in the men’s javelin throw without Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, who has withdrawn from the Asian Games because of injury.
Despite Chopra’s absence, India will have Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh in the event.
Rohit has a season best of 87.68m, while Yashvir has recorded 85.41m. Both are among the leading throwers on the Asian season list.
Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage enters the competition with a season-best throw of 92.62m and has crossed the 90-metre mark three times this season. Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem is also in the field, although his season best stands at 81.49m.
Tejaswin Shankar faces tough decathlon challenge
National record holder Tejaswin Shankar will compete in the decathlon, where he faces a strong field led by Japan’s Yuma Maruyama.
Maruyama tops the Asian season rankings with 8,321 points. Shankar’s personal best is 8,057 points, which he recorded in May.
Shankar had also competed in the high jump earlier in the season but withdrew midway through the event at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games because of a recurring knee issue. His decathlon campaign will therefore be closely followed as he takes on one of the more demanding events in the athletics programme.
Sarvesh Kushare leads high jump hopes
India’s high jump challenge will be led by Commonwealth Games silver medallist Sarvesh Kushare.
Kushare is the Asian season leader with a best clearance of 2.31m recorded in June. However, he will face a strong field that includes Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim, a multiple Olympic and world medallist.
Kushare is also carrying a minor physical issue, adding another element to his campaign.
India will also have medal contenders in events such as the women’s long jump, triple jump, hurdles and middle-distance races.
Ancy Sojan and other Indian medal contenders
Ancy Sojan, who won silver in the women’s long jump at the previous Asian Games, will be looking to improve her medal colour in Aichi-Nagoya.
She enters the competition as the Asian season leader after recording 6.88m in June.
Praveen Chithravel and Jyothi Yarraji will also be among India’s established athletes. Chithravel won bronze in the men’s triple jump at the previous Games, while Yarraji claimed silver in the women’s 100m hurdles.
Both athletes have dealt with minor injuries recently, according to the pre-event report.
Other Indian athletes in focus include quarter-miler Vishal TK, 3,000m steeplechaser Parul Chaudhary, 200m runner Harita Bhadra and high jumper Pooja Singh.
Athletics campaign begins with several events
The first day of India’s athletics campaign will feature both medal events and qualification rounds.
Triple jumper Asha Ilango will be the first Indian involved in a medal event, followed by Seema in the women’s 10,000m. India will also compete in the mixed 4x400m relay, while sprinters Animesh Kujur and Gurindervir Singh will take part in the men’s 100m heats.
The athletics programme will continue through September 29, giving India’s large contingent several opportunities across track and field disciplines.
India’s athletics team will therefore have multiple medal opportunities during the week, with experienced champions and younger athletes sharing the spotlight.
India looks to build on Hangzhou performance
India’s athletics contingent produced a substantial medal haul at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, winning 29 medals across track and field. The 2026 squad is now aiming to remain among the leading athletics teams at the continental competition.
Toor’s shot put campaign could provide one of the defining moments. A third consecutive gold would establish a new milestone for an Indian track and field athlete in a single event.
At the same time, Sreeshankar, Gulveer, Sable, Kushare, Sojan and the other medal contenders will have their own opportunities to add to India’s tally.
The absence of Neeraj Chopra means the javelin throw will have a different complexion this time, but India’s overall athletics squad remains broad, with athletes entered across a large number of disciplines.
Conclusion
India’s athletics campaign at the Asian Games 2026 begins with several prominent medal contenders in action. Tajinderpal Singh Toor will be at the centre of attention as he targets a historic third consecutive Asian Games gold in men’s shot put. Murali Sreeshankar, Gulveer Singh and Avinash Sable will also seek strong performances, while athletes such as Ancy Sojan, Sarvesh Kushare and Tejaswin Shankar add further depth to India’s medal prospects.