Asian Games 2026: Manu Bhaker And Mirabai Chanu Headline India's Medal Hopes On Action-Packed Day In Aichi-Nagoya

Aichi-Nagoya: Olympic medallists Manu Bhaker and Mirabai Chanu will headline India's campaign on a packed day at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya on Wednesday, with shooting, weightlifting, badminton and several other disciplines offering medal opportunities, according to Olympics.com.

Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker will compete in the women's 10m air pistol event, aiming to add an Asian Games medal to her growing list of achievements. The Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist had missed out on an individual medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023 and will look to make a strong comeback at the continental event.

Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Mirabai Chanu will also be in focus as she takes the stage in the women's 49kg weightlifting category. Chanu narrowly missed out on a medal at Hangzhou 2023, finishing fourth after an injury prevented her from completing her final clean and jerk attempt.

Coming into the event after winning gold at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Chanu will look to carry her momentum and secure a podium finish at the Asian Games, the only major multi-sport event where she is yet to win a medal.

Shooting will provide more medal chances for India, with the skeet shooters completing their three-day qualification rounds. Anantjeet Singh Naruka will be among the shooters to watch after recovering strongly on the second day following a difficult opening round.

The Indian men's badminton team will face a tough challenge against the People's Republic of China in the semi-finals. Lakshya Sen and his teammates secured a medal for India after defeating Japan in the quarter-finals and will now aim to book a place in the gold medal match.

Squash will also begin its campaign at Aichi-Nagoya, with Indian players featuring in singles first-round matches. Anahat Singh, who has received a bye, will begin her campaign from Thursday. The singles events at the Asian Games serve as a qualification pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, with quotas available for the men's and women's champions.

Wushu player Roshibina Devi will compete in the women's 60kg sanda semi-finals, where she is assured of winning her third individual Asian Games medal in three appearances.

Indian teams will also continue their hockey and kabaddi group-stage campaigns, while boxer Ankush will compete in the men's 80kg category. Swimming will also offer medal opportunities for Indian athletes on Wednesday.

With several medal contenders in action, India will look to build on its campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games as the competition enters another crucial phase. 

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