Mixed team archery squad from India wins gold medal at Asian Games 2026

Niru Danda achieved a historic feat on Tuesday. The 26-year-old shooter from Haryana won India's first Olympic gold medal in the women's individual trap event at the Asian Games. Furthermore, Niru set a new Asian record by scoring 28 points.

Before her victory, Niru and India also won a silver medal in the women's trap team event. Thus, in one day, Niru helped the team reach the podium and then won gold in the individual event herself, making history.

This year has been one of many successes for Niru. In July, she became the first Indian woman to win gold in trap at the World Shooting Cup held in Italy. Now she has added a new chapter to the history of Indian shooting at the Asian Games.

By scoring 28 points, Niru surpassed the old Asian record of 24 points on four targets. Her shooting accuracy not only secured her gold but also allowed her to enter the tournament's record books.

The Asian Games reached their peak, and Sunday proved to be a mixed day for Indian athletes. The athletes demonstrated their dedication in disciplines such as running and field sports, hockey, and boxing, thereby bringing pride to the country. On Sunday, India won a total of 7 medals, bringing the overall tally to 37.

In running and field events, Indian athletes showed outstanding results, securing several awards. Sarvesh Kushare received a silver medal in the men's high jump, displaying brilliant performance. Parul Chaudhary won a bronze medal in the women's 3000 meters steeplechase, setting a personal record. In the intense decathlon competition, Tejashwin Shankar added a bronze to the country's collection.

In the women's final of the 200 meters, Harita Bhadra surprised everyone by winning a bronze medal. Ansi Sodjan secured a silver medal in the women's long jump after fierce competition.

Parul Chaudhary won a bronze medal in the women's 3000 meters steeplechase at the Asian Games 2026, setting an impressive national record time of 9:08.67.

The Indian women's hockey team dominated the field, achieving a convincing victory over Singapore with a score of 7:0, thus securing first place in Group B. In this match, Sunelita Toppo scored two excellent goals.

What happened in boxing? Indian boxers continue to show excellent results. Ankush, Parvin, and Nrendra won their bouts, advancing to the semi-finals and guaranteeing the country at least bronze medals.

In squash, India had to fight a bit to win a silver medal. Abhay Singh and young talent Anahat Singh both finished in second place, losing to Malaysian athletes in their singles finals.

Indian archers demonstrated excellent form on Sunday, successfully qualifying for the semi-finals in five different disciplines—compound and recurve. The day was difficult for Indian athletes in badminton: all six players in singles and doubles, including P.V. Sindhu and Unnati Hooda, were eliminated from the tournament after losing in intense matches. Meanwhile, the Indian men's volleyball team confidently started its journey, defeating Vietnam with a score of 3:0.

Indian shooters demonstrated outstanding performance at the Asian Games 2026, securing their first medal for the country on September 20 (Sunday). India won the silver medal in the team event of 10-meter air rifle shooting.

The Indian team consisted of Ilavelil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar, and Vidarsa Kochulamkal Vinod. These three shooters delivered excellent results, earning India the silver award.

At the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery range, the Indian team scored a total of 1898.0 points after six shooting series, placing second.

The gold medal was won by the Chinese team, comprising Jifei Wang, Jiayu Han, and Yuchen Du, who scored a record 1904.2 points. The bronze medal went to the Japanese team, including Hinata Taichi, Misaki Nobatu, and Shiori Hirata, with a score of 1897.1 points.

Indian shooters Ilavelil Valarivan and Sonam Maskar also qualified for the individual final in 10-meter air rifle shooting. In the qualification round, Sonam Maskar placed third with 634.1 points, and Ilavelil placed seventh with 633.5 points. The leader in the qualification was Jifei Wang from China with a score of 636.8 points.

In the 10-meter air rifle team event, the Indian squad showed strong play from the beginning. The team successfully reached the podium, demonstrating accurate shooting under pressure. Thanks to the combined efforts of the three athletes, including Ilavelil Valarivan, who has extensive international experience, as well as Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod, India managed to win silver in this discipline.

Shooting remains one of the main sports bringing medals to India at the Asian Games. This success of the Indian shooters in Nagoya is important for the country's overall medal tally. The results of the Indian shooters at the Asian Games 2026 raise expectations for future medals.