Asian Games 2026: Here are six performances that made India’s campaign memorable

Womenrsquos hockey teamThe Indian womenrsquos hockey team achieved a monumental milestone by securing the gold medal with a hardfought 1ndash0 win over defending champs and reigning Olympic silver medallists China The victory was special as it ended Indiarsquos 44year gold drought since their only Asiad title in 1982 The team showcased tremendous consistency by remaining unbeaten and scoring a massive 69 goals and conceding just three in seven matches Securing the 2028 LA Olympics berth was the icing on the cakepopcorn number69 descNo of goals scored by Indiarsquos womenrsquos hockey team in seven matches classDefaultGulveer Singh AthleticsLongdistance runner Gulveer Singh emerged as one of Indiarsquos standout athletes after delivering not one or two but three extraordinary performances The 28yearold put on tactically brilliant displays to win silver medals in the 10000m and 1500m events besides a bronze in the 5000m race Though he did not win a gold medal his performances stood out as he became the only Indian male trackandfield athlete to win three individual track medals at a single Asian Games editionNeeru Dhanda ShootingNeeru Dhanda 26 overcame a severe viral illness that required hospitalisation just days before the multination event began to clinch an impressive gold in the womenrsquos individual trap She became the first Indian woman to win an Asiad shotgun gold with an Asian record score of 28 She also won silver in the team trap event alongside Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer There was no stopping Dhanda who also produced yet another goldwinning show the following day in the mixed team trap alongside Kynan Chenaipopcorn number28 descNo of points scored by Neeru Dhanda in the womenrsquos trap final an Asian record classDefaultSawan Barwal AthleticsLongdistance runner Sawan Barwal clocked a National Record 21137 over the 42195km course to give India its first Asian Games marathon medal in 44 years What makes this mark special is that he became the first Indian to achieve an Asian Games podium finish in this event on foreign soil The Army man from Himachal Pradesh maintained a disciplined pace throughout the race finishing just 48 seconds behind Japanrsquos Ichitaka Yamashitapopcorn number21137 descSawan Barwalrsquos timing a National record classDefaultPranavi Urs GolfGolfer Pranavi Urs came up with a historic performance winning Indiarsquos firstever gold medal in the womenrsquos individual event at the Asian Games Pranavi delivered exceptional consistency across all four rounds despite facing stiff competition from elite golfers Apart from her individual gold Urs anchored the womenrsquos team to silver alongside teammates Aditi Ashok and Diksha DagarKumkum Mohod ArcherySeventeenyearold archer Kumkum Mohod etched her name into the history books by becoming the first Indian woman to win an individual recurve gold at the Asian Games after beating South Korearsquos Oh YeJin in the final Mohod showed remarkable consistency in highwind conditions to also win the womenrsquos recurve team gold alongside Ankita Bhakat and Kirti Sharma The Asiad debutante also produced a podium finish in the recurve mixed team event clinching silver alongside Dhiraj Bommadevara