India at Asian Games 2026: A Record-Sized Team Carries the Momentum of Hangzhou to Japan The next chapter of India’s Asian sporting story begins in Japan. The 20th Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya 2026, officially open on September 19 and run through October 4, bringing together athletes from across the continent in one of the biggest multi-sport competitions before the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. For India, there is an additional layer of significance. The country is arriving after its greatest Asian Games performance ever. At Hangzhou, India won 107 medals — 28 gold, 38 silver and 41 bronze — and finished fourth in the overall standings. Now comes the difficult part of sport: Doing it again. India sends 503 athletes to Japan India’s final delegation has grown to 503 athletes — 269 men and 234 women — according to the Olympic Council of Asia’s September update. More than 300 members of the athlete contingent are making their Asian Games debut, according to India’s Sports Ministry’s send-off information. That is more than just a number. It indicates both experience and renewal. There are established Olympic and Asian Games medallists heading to Japan, but alongside them is a substantial group entering the continental