India’s Medal Rush at Asian Games: Athletics and Squash Deliver a Packed Podium Day

Silver in the high jump and long jump, bronze in the 200m and decathlon, plus two squash silvers give India a busy medal haul on September 27

New Delhi. India enjoyed one of its busiest medal days at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 on September 27, with athletes and squash players producing a series of podium finishes across the day.

The medal action spread across disciplines rather than coming from a single sporting powerhouse. Squash contributed two silver medals, while athletics added medals in the high jump, long jump, women’s 200m and men’s decathlon, underlining the breadth of India’s challenge at the Games.

Kushare Adds Another Major Medal to His Season

Indian high jumper Sarvesh Kushare delivered another strong performance on the international stage.

Kushare cleared 2.25 metres to secure silver, continuing a remarkable year that has already seen him make history at the Commonwealth Games. His 2.25m clearance there also earned silver, with Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford taking gold on countback after both athletes cleared the same height.

The Asian Games result adds another major podium finish to Kushare’s growing international record.

Ancy Sojan Keeps India in the Long-Jump Spotlight

India’s Ancy Sojan Edappilly also produced a medal-winning performance in the women’s long jump.

Sojan recorded a best effort of 6.53 metres, enough to claim silver after a close contest. Reports from Nagoya put her just two centimetres short of the gold-winning mark, making it one of the day’s tightest athletics finishes for India.

Compatriot Shaili Singh also featured in the final and finished close to the podium with a 6.42m effort, according to reports.

Harita Bhadra Wins a Sprint Bronze

India’s medal tally received another boost in the women’s 200m final, where Harita Bhadra clocked 23.20 seconds to take bronze.

The race was decided by tiny margins. Singapore’s Veronica Shanti Pereira won gold in 22.78 seconds, while China’s Chen Yujie took silver in 22.93. Bhadra edged Japan’s Abigeirufuka Ido by just 0.01 seconds for third place.

The result gave India another athletics podium finish on a day when the sport became a major contributor to the country’s medal count.

Tejaswin Shankar Completes a Gruelling Decathlon

The men’s decathlon provided another Indian medal story.

Tejaswin Shankar finished third with 7,934 points, earning bronze after competing across all ten disciplines of the event. He saved a crucial performance for the final 1,500m, winning that event in 4:33.09 and securing his place on the podium.

Japan’s Maruyama won gold with 8,123 points, while China’s Chen took silver with 8,012.

For Shankar, the result adds another Asian Games medal to a career that has seen him transition from high jump into combined events.

Squash Produces Two More Silvers

India’s medal surge began with squash, although both singles players ultimately finished with silver.

In the men’s singles final, Abhay Singh faced Malaysia’s Ng Eain Yow, while Anahat Singh contested the women’s singles final against Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam. Both Malaysian players won their respective finals, leaving the Indian pair with silver medals.

Anahat’s run was particularly significant as she reached the women’s singles final at the Asian Games, giving Indian squash another major milestone.

A Day Spread Across the Athletics Spectrum

What stands out from India’s September 27 campaign is the variety of events producing medals.

The podium finishes came from:

• High jump: Sarvesh Kushare — Silver
• Long jump: Ancy Sojan — Silver
• Women’s 200m: Harita Bhadra — Bronze
• Men’s decathlon: Tejaswin Shankar — Bronze
• Men’s squash singles: Abhay Singh — Silver
• Women’s squash singles: Anahat Singh — Silver

This spread across field events, sprinting, combined events and squash reflects the depth of India’s medal campaign at Aichi-Nagoya.

More Medal Opportunities Remain

India’s September 27 schedule was packed with medal events across athletics, shooting, boxing, hockey, archery, badminton and other disciplines. The day’s programme had already identified multiple Indian medal contenders, including Parul Chaudhary and Ankita in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, Sarvesh Kushare in high jump, Ancy Sojan and Shaili Singh in long jump, and Harita Bhadra and Unnathi Bolland in the 200m.

That made Day 9 one of the most closely watched stages of India’s Asian Games campaign.

The Bigger Picture

The significance of India’s medal run goes beyond the number of podium finishes on a single day.

The results have come from athletes competing in markedly different disciplines—from a technically demanding decathlon to explosive sprint events, jumping disciplines and the tactical battles of squash.

For Indian athletics in particular, the day’s results provided several distinct medal moments, while squash added two more silver medals to the country’s overall campaign.

With competition continuing across multiple sports, India’s medal tally remains a work in progress. The September 27 results, however, have already made the day one of the more eventful chapters of India’s Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 campaign.

(SDNA)