After a grand opening ceremony on Saturday, India will look to make an early mark at the Asian Games 2026 on Sunday, with a packed day of competition across Aichi-Nagoya.

The spotlight will be on the Indian women’s cricket team as Harmanpreet Kaur and company take on Bangladesh in the semifinal, while Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza returns to action in teqball after missing out on a place in the women’s singles final.

The day will also see India’s mixed doubles teqball pair compete for bronze, giving the country another chance to finish on the podium in the sport’s Asian Games debut.

Harmanpreet Singh- and Salima Tete-led India’s men’s and women’s hockey teams will also begin their campaigns, with both sides eyeing gold and a strong start to their respective title quests. The Asian Games also carry added significance for hockey, with the competition offering a route towards qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Shooting, wushu, swimming, badminton and table tennis will be among the other major sports where India will begin its challenge on Sunday, as several medal hopefuls enter the competition for the first time.

Shooting trio take aim at opening opportunity

India’s shooting campaign gets underway with Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod Kochalumkal competing in the women’s 10m air rifle qualification.

The trio will look to progress to the final and put India in contention for an early medal in a discipline that has traditionally been one of the country’s strongest at the Asian Games.

Dsouza eyes redemption, mixed doubles pair target bronze

Teqball will provide India with two opportunities to add to its medal tally. Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza will return to the table for the women’s singles bronze-medal match against Japan’s Yuina Sakamoto after suffering a 2-1 semifinal defeat. Dsouza won the opening set but could not close out the contest after losing the next two.

India will also feature in the mixed doubles bronze-medal match against Vietnam, with both contests offering the country a chance to secure a podium finish in teqball's Asian Games debut.

Harmanpreet’s India one win from final

The Indian women’s cricket team will resume its gold-medal defence against Bangladesh in the second semifinal.

Harmanpreet Kaur and company will be aiming to reach the final and move closer to retaining the gold medal won at the previous Asian Games. Bangladesh, however, will look to derail India’s title defence and secure a place in the gold-medal match.

Paddlers face early tests in Group F

India’s men’s and women’s table tennis teams will begin their respective Asian Games campaigns with Group F fixtures.

The women’s team will face Indonesia and Singapore, while the men’s team will meet Indonesia and Iran. The opening matches will set the tone for India’s bid to progress from the group stage.

Swimmers dive into Asian Games action

Three Indian swimmers will make their Asian Games appearances in the men’s sprint events. Akash Mani will compete in the 100m freestyle, while Utkarsh Patil and Rishabh Das will take part in the 100m backstroke heats. Their immediate target will be to advance to the next stage of their respective events.

Hockey teams begin their medal pursuit

The Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams will both make their first appearances in Aichi-Nagoya. The women will face Uzbekistan in Pool B, while the men will take on Indonesia in Pool A. Both teams will look to start their pool campaigns with victories and lay an early foundation for a run deep into the competition.

Women shuttlers open against Kazakhstan

India’s women’s badminton team will begin its Asian Games campaign against Kazakhstan in the first round of the team event.

The Indian shuttlers will be looking to negotiate their opening tie and advance to the next stage as they begin their bid for a podium finish.

Wushu duo step into the ring

India’s wushu challenge will begin with Aparna and Vikrant Baliyan in action in their respective weight categories. Aparna will face Iran’s Sogand Sinkaeechetan in the women’s 52kg category, while Baliyan will take on Iran’s Soheil Mousavi in the men’s 75kg division. Both will be looking to progress and keep India’s medal hopes alive.

Asian Games 2026 September 20: India's schedule and results

Asian Games 2026 September 20: Live telecast

The live telecast of September 20 events of the Asian Games 2026 will be available on Sony Sports Network in India

Asian Games 2026 September 20: Live streaming

The live streaming of the September 20 events of the Asian Games 2026 will be available on the SonyLIV app and website in India.

Follow all the latest updates from India’s Asian Games campaign on September 20 here

What is Wushu?

• Wushu is a form of Chinese martial arts and has been part of the Asian Games since 1990.
• The sport has two main categories. Taolu is a performance-based discipline in which athletes are judged on routines involving barehanded movements or weapons, with marks awarded for technique, execution and presentation. Sanda, on the other hand, is the combat format, where athletes compete in bouts.
• India have won 10 medals in wushu at the Asian Games so far, but are yet to claim a gold medal in the sport.

Wushu event has began...

Suraj Singh Mayanglambam will be in action in Men's Changquan. 

Startlist

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Day 1 action of Asian Games 2026. MMA event is about to begin before India first medal hopes pinned on teqball and shooting later in the day.

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