Asian Games 2026: India’s Action-Packed September 20 Schedule, Results and Medal Highlights
Aichi-Nagoya, Japan: The 2026 Asian Games moved into a packed phase of competition on Sunday, September 20, with Indian athletes and teams taking part across shooting, cricket, hockey, badminton, table tennis, wushu, MMA, swimming and teqball.
After the colourful opening ceremony on Saturday at Paloma Mizuho Stadium, the focus shifted firmly to sporting action as India began its medal campaign in earnest. The Games are being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, with sporting competitions having started in some disciplines before the official opening ceremony.
India Opens Medal Account in Shooting
India made an early impact on September 20 through the women’s 10m air rifle competition.
Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa K Vinod won the silver medal in the women’s 10m air rifle team event, giving India its first medal of the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
The Indian trio finished behind China, while Japan took the bronze medal. Elavenil later added another silver in the individual 10m air rifle final, taking India’s medal tally to two silver medals.
The shooting results provided an encouraging start to India’s campaign, particularly after the country finished the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou with a record 107 medals.
Suchika Tariyal Assures Another Medal
India also secured another medal opportunity in the women’s traditional 60kg MMA competition.
Suchika Tariyal defeated Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa 2-0 in the quarterfinal, advancing to the semifinals. Her progress guarantees India a medal in the event, which is making its Asian Games debut in 2026.
Her semifinal appearance therefore gives India a chance to add to its shooting medals as the competition progresses.
Women’s Cricket Team Reaches Gold-Medal Match
Cricket was another major attraction for India on Sunday.
The Indian women’s cricket team defeated Bangladesh by 114 runs in the semifinal, securing its place in the gold-medal match. India entered the tournament as the defending Asian Games champion after winning gold at the 2023 Hangzhou Games.
The semifinal was also notable for Smriti Mandhana, who moved past New Zealand’s Suzie Bates to become the leading run-scorer in women’s T20 internationals during India’s innings.
India’s victory means the women’s cricket team is assured of at least a silver medal and will now compete for gold.
Hockey Campaign Begins
Both Indian hockey teams began their respective Asian Games campaigns on September 20.
The Indian women’s team faced Uzbekistan in Pool B, while the men’s team opened its Pool A campaign against Indonesia.
The women’s side produced a particularly emphatic result, defeating Uzbekistan 19-0 in their opening group match.
With hockey carrying significant medal expectations for India, the opening fixtures marked an important start to the teams’ campaigns.
Table Tennis Teams Make Strong Starts
India’s table tennis teams also had a productive opening day.
The women’s team defeated Indonesia 3-0 in its opening Group F fixture. The men’s team also registered a 3-0 victory over Indonesia, with G Sathiyan, Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah contributing to the win.
The Indian women’s team was scheduled to face Singapore later in the day, while the men’s team was set to take on Iran.
Teqball Brings Mixed Results
Teqball, making its Asian Games medal debut at Aichi-Nagoya, provided India with two medal opportunities.
Quimcy D’Souza narrowly missed out on a women’s singles bronze, losing to Japan’s Yuina Sakamoto in straight sets, with both sets ending 11-12.
D’Souza and Mohd Anas Imran Beg subsequently competed in the mixed doubles bronze-medal match but also missed the podium.
The sport itself made history at these Games, with the first Asian Games teqball medals awarded in Nagoya. Thailand won three of the five gold medals contested.
Wushu and Swimming Add to the Day’s Action
India’s Suraj Singh Mayanglambam finished 11th in the men’s Changquan final, ending his campaign outside the medal positions.
Indian swimmers, badminton players and wushu athletes were also scheduled to compete throughout the day. The women’s badminton team faced Kazakhstan in the Round of 16, while swimmers including Akash Mani, Rohit Benedicton, Rishabh Das and Utkarsh Santosh Patil were listed for their respective events.
India’s September 20 Highlights at a Glance
| Sport | India’s key result/highlight |
| Shooting | 2 silver medals |
| MMA | Suchika Tariyal assured a medal |
| Women’s Cricket | Beat Bangladesh by 114 runs; reached gold-medal match |
| Women’s Hockey | Beat Uzbekistan 19-0 |
| Men’s Hockey | Campaign began against Indonesia |
| Women’s Table Tennis | Beat Indonesia 3-0 |
| Men’s Table Tennis | Beat Indonesia 3-0 |
| Teqball | Two bronze-medal opportunities, no medal |
| Wushu | Suraj Singh Mayanglambam finished 11th in Changquan |
What Lies Ahead for India
With two shooting silvers already secured, another medal guaranteed in MMA and the women’s cricket team through to the gold-medal match, India’s campaign has gained momentum on the first major day of competition.
The focus now turns to India’s progress in hockey, cricket, badminton, shooting, table tennis, MMA and the other disciplines as the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games continue through October 4.
For Indian fans, September 20 has already produced a combination of medals, assured podium finishes and strong team performances — setting the stage for more competition in the days ahead.