PM Modi to host Asian Games medallists, cricketers on October 15

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet India's Asian Games contingent, cricketers and other medallists at his residence on October 15. The meeting, scheduled for 4:30 pm, will bring together athletes from across disciplines who have represented the country and won medals on the international stage.India's campaign at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, saw the contingent finish fourth in the overall standings with 85 medals, including 21 golds. After a relatively modest start, India mounted a late charge to climb from eighth place to fourth, matching its finish at the previous edition in Hangzhou.The campaign featured several notable performances, with archery, wrestling and boxing among India's strongest medal-winning disciplines. The men's and women's hockey teams and the women's cricket team also clinched gold medals, while athletes across other sports contributed to the country's overall tally.The meeting will bring together medallists from different sporting backgrounds, providing an opportunity to recognise their performances and celebrate India's achievements at the continental event. ARCHERY, WRESTLING LEAD CHARGEIndia finished fourth at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with 85 medals, including 21 golds. After a relatively modest start, the contingent mounted a late surge to climb from eighth place to fourth in the standings, matching its finish at the previous edition in Hangzhou.Archery was one of India's strongest disciplines, with the contingent winning five gold, two silver and two bronze medals to finish ahead of South Korea. Wrestling also delivered six medals, including two golds, two silvers and two bronzes. The performances helped India strengthen its position in the final stages of the competition.BOXING, HOCKEY DELIVER GOLD Boxing proved another major contributor, with India winning six medals, including three golds and three bronzes. Lovlina Borgohain, Parveen Hooda and Ankush Panghal won their respective finals, giving India its best Asian Games return in terms of boxing gold medals.The men's and women's hockey teams also won gold, while the women's cricket team retained its title with a victory over Sri Lanka in the final. These results added to India's gold-medal tally and highlighted the country's strength in team sports.ATHLETICS, SHOOTING ADD MEDALSAthletics contributed 24 medals, including one gold, nine silvers and 14 bronzes, although the overall tally was lower than India's return at Hangzhou. Gulveer Singh stood out with silver medals in the 10,000m and 1,500m and a bronze in the 5,000m.Shooting produced 15 medals, comprising three golds, eight silvers and four bronzes. However, the return was down from the 22 medals India won in the discipline at the previous edition.MIXED RESULTS ELSEWHEREIndia's campaign also featured setbacks in badminton and tennis. The badminton contingent failed to win an individual medal for the first time in 12 years, while India returned without a tennis medal for the first time since 1986.Weightlifting offered a significant positive, with Mirabai Chanu winning silver in the women's 49kg category to end India's 28-year wait for an Asian Games medal in the sport.Overall, India's 85-medal haul reflected strong performances in archery, wrestling, boxing and team sports, while results in several other disciplines showed where further improvement is needed.- Ends