SportsPosted at: Oct 2 2026 7:48PM


Asian Games Day 13: Six golds push India to No.5 as tally rises to 76

Tridib Baparnash
New Delhi, Oct 2 (UNI) India produced their richest gold-medal haul of the Asian Games on Friday, winning six titles on a stunning Day 13 in Aichi-Nagoya, with the women’s hockey team providing the most stirring finish by ending a four-decade wait for the continental crown. The hockey gold came alongside top finishes for the women’s recurve team, boxer Lovlina Borgohain, Parveen Hooda and Ankush Panghal, and wrestler Sujeet Kalkal, lifting India’s tally to 76 medals — 16 gold, 25 silver and 35 bronze — and moving them up to fifth in the standings.
Captain Salima Tete and her team brought the day to a memorable close by beating defending champions China 1-0 in the women’s hockey final, with Lalremsiami Hmarzote scoring the decisive goal in the 10th minute before a determined Indian defence held firm under relentless pressure.
Earlier, Ankita Bhakat, Kumkum Mohod and Kirti Sharma had made history by beating powerhouse South Korea 5-3 to win India’s first Asiad gold in the women’s recurve team event. Lovlina then celebrated her 29th birthday with gold in the women’s 75kg boxing final, while Parveen won the women’s 65kg title and Ankush Panghal claimed gold in the men’s 80kg category.
Sujeet completed India’s golden run with a stunning late comeback in the men’s freestyle 65kg final, overturning a 9-2 deficit against Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev to win 10-9 with just 11 seconds remaining.
The six golds lifted India from eighth to fifth in the standings, behind China, hosts Japan, South Korea and Uzbekistan.
Women’s hockey team qualify for 2028 LA Olympics
The women’s hockey team delivered one of the most significant results of India’s campaign by beating China 1-0 at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium. The result not only ended India’s wait for a women’s Asian Games hockey gold that stretched back to the 1982 edition in New Delhi, but also helped Salima Tete’s side earn direct qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Lalremsiami marked her 200th international appearance with the winning goal in the 10th minute, producing a superb reverse-stick strike after being picked out by Sakshi Rana.
China, the Paris Olympics silver medallists, responded with sustained pressure but found India’s defence difficult to break down. Goalkeeper Bichu Devi was particularly influential, producing a crucial penalty-stroke save to preserve India’s lead.
Archers make history
India’s first gold of the day came from the women’s recurve team, with Ankita Bhakat, Kumkum Mohod and Kirti Sharma beating South Korea 5-3. The victory ended South Korea’s run of seven successive Asian Games women’s recurve team titles dating back to Bangkok 1998 and gave India their first gold in the event.
India then added two silver medals in recurve archery.
Kumkum and Dhiraj Bommadevara lost 3-5 to China’s Zhu Jingyi and Li Mengqi in the mixed team final. China won the opening two sets 38-34 and 37-35 before India took the third 37-36. The fourth ended 37-37, giving China the title.
The defeat also meant India missed the chance to secure the men’s and women’s recurve quota places for Los Angeles 2028 that were available to the mixed team champions.
Dhiraj later combined with Neeraj and Yashdeep Bhoge in the men’s recurve team final, where India lost 1-5 to South Korea. It was their second successive silver in the event after finishing runners-up at Hangzhou 2023.
India will have more opportunities to secure Olympic quota places in the individual events on Saturday, with Kumkum, Dhiraj and Neeraj Chauhan through to the quarterfinals.
Lovlina leads boxing’s record haul
Lovlina Borgohain’s birthday gold headlined India’s most successful Asian Games boxing campaign in terms of titles won. The 29-year-old defeated China’s Ziyi Bao 5-0 in the women’s 75kg final to upgrade the silver she won at Hangzhou 2023.
Parveen Hooda followed with a 3-2 victory over Chinese Taipei’s Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Chen Nien-Chin in the women’s 65kg final, while Ankush Panghal beat South Korea’s Kim Min-seong 4-0 in the men’s 80kg final.
India finished with six boxing medals — three gold and three bronze — surpassing their previous best of two golds at the 2010 Guangzhou Games.
Kapil Pokhariya, Narender Berwal and Priya Ghanghas had earlier secured bronze medals.
Sujeet’s stunning turnaround
Sujeet Kalkal produced one of the day’s most dramatic finishes in the men’s freestyle 65kg final.
Trailing Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev 9-2 with just 1 minute and 40 seconds remaining, Sujeet launched a remarkable fightback, producing three takedowns in quick succession to cut the deficit to 9-8.
With Kudiev trying to run down the clock, Sujeet found one final opening and completed a two-point takedown with 11 seconds left to win 10-9. The victory gave India their first Asian Games wrestling gold since Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat won titles at Jakarta 2018. Bajrang’s gold had also come in the 65kg category.
India also added bronze medals in sailing and sepaktakraw, with Nethra Kumanan winning a sailing bronze and the men’s quadrathlon team securing a bronze in sepaktakraw.
Neeru to carry flag at closing ceremony
Trap shooter Neeru Dhanda was named India’s flag bearer for Sunday’s closing ceremony after winning three medals in Aichi-Nagoya. Neeru has won two golds and a silver, becoming the first Indian to win an individual Asian Games gold in trap shooting. She also won silver in the women’s trap team event before adding mixed trap team gold.
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Tags: #Asian Games Day 13: Six golds push India to No.5 as tally rises to 76
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