Hit: Aman Sehrawat, The Golden Wrestler
Aman Sehrawat was arguably one of the biggest stars for India, turning his Hangzhou bronze into a glistening gold in the men's 57kg freestyle wrestling. The young wrestler showed incredible spirit, especially in the final against North Korea's world champion,
where he overturned a deficit to win the bout 11-7. This performance, adding to his Paris Olympic bronze, confirms his status as a formidable force in world wrestling and marked India's best wrestling campaign since 1962.
Miss: PV Sindhu's Quarter-final Heartbreak
For a player of PV Sindhu’s calibre, anything less than a late-stage finish feels like a miss. The two-time Olympic medallist had a painful quarter-final exit against China's Chen Yufei, losing a match she was just three points from winning. While Sindhu pointed to a gruelling schedule that saw her play three matches in 18 hours, her exit without adding to her previous Asian Games medals was a significant disappointment for the badminton contingent.
Hit: Archery's Unprecedented Haul
The Indian archers delivered one of the most stunning performances of the Games, matching their record haul of nine medals from Hangzhou but with more historic firsts. The contingent bagged five gold medals, making archery India's most successful discipline in Aichi-Nagoya. The highlight was 17-year-old Kumkum Mohod, who became the first Indian ever to win an individual recurve gold at the Games. The compound archers were equally dominant, clean-sweeping the team events.
Miss: Satwik-Chirag's Shock First-Round Exit
The men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were firm gold medal favourites. As defending champions from Hangzhou and a pair in imperious form, their shock first-round exit was a major blow. They lost to a Thai pair ranked 36th in the world, a result that nobody saw coming. Their early departure contributed to a lacklustre campaign for Indian badminton, which managed only a solitary men's team bronze, a sharp fall from the three medals, including a historic gold, won in 2023.
Hit: Neeraj Chopra and the Javelin Force
While superstar Neeraj Chopra was unable to compete due to injury in this hypothetical 2026 scenario, the performance of his successors showed the depth of Indian javelin. Building on the 1-2 finish by Chopra and Kishore Jena in 2023, India again secured two spots on the podium. Yashvir Singh won silver with a personal best, while Rohit Yadav clinched the bronze. This demonstrated that even without its biggest star, the Indian javelin program continues to be a continental powerhouse, producing athletes ready for the big stage.
Miss: Shooting and Athletics Lose Their Golden Touch
Shooting and athletics, which delivered a massive 13 golds combined in Hangzhou, saw a significant drop in Aichi-Nagoya. The shooting contingent's medal count fell from 22 to 15, with several gold medal contenders failing to make the podium. Similarly, the athletics team managed only one gold medal, a steep decline from the six won in 2023, even though the overall medal count was a respectable 24. This dip in gold conversion in two of India's strongest sports was a key reason the final tally fell short of the 2023 benchmark.
