– Pratyusha Mukherjee, Aichi-Nagoya, Japan
Six gold, eight silver and six bronze medals underline the Indian Army’s growing sporting dominance, with Neeru Dhanda and Gulveer Singh leading the charge.
Indian Army athletes delivered a landmark performance at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, powering India’s campaign with a record haul of 20 medals — their best-ever return at the continental showpiece.
The 62-member Army contingent competed across 15 disciplines as part of India’s 501-strong team, claiming six gold, eight silver and six bronze medals. Their contribution accounted for nearly a quarter of India’s overall tally of 85 medals, including 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze.
The Army’s six gold medals represented a 100 per cent increase over its gold-medal tally at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023, highlighting the steady rise of its athletes on the international stage.
According to an official release, Army athletes contributed 23.52 per cent of India’s total medals, while their six gold medals accounted for 29 per cent of the country’s gold-medal haul.
Neeru Dhanda, Gulveer Singh spearhead medal charge:
Naib Subedar Neeru Dhanda emerged as one of the biggest stars of the Army contingent, winning two gold medals and a silver in trap shooting. Her performance reinforced the Army’s growing strength in shooting, a discipline in which its representation and medal output increased significantly from the previous edition.
Distance runner Naib Subedar Gulveer Singh was another standout performer, returning with two silver medals and a bronze. In the process, Gulveer created Indian sporting history by becoming the first Indian male track-and-field athlete to win three individual medals at a single edition of the Asian Games.
The Army’s shooting contingent made remarkable progress in Aichi-Nagoya. While only one Army shooter competed at the 2023 Games, four represented the force in 2026, helping lift its shooting medal tally from one silver to three gold and a silver.
Boxing also proved productive, with Army pugilists securing three medals — one gold and two bronze — to strengthen the contingent’s overall contribution.
National and Asian Games records underline dominance:
Beyond the medal count, Army athletes made their mark by rewriting record books across multiple disciplines.
Havildar Sawan Barwal set a national record in the men’s marathon, clocking an impressive 2:11:37. Subedar Dhiraj Bommadevara also established a national record in men’s recurve archery with a score of 698 out of 720.
In shooting, Havildar Kamaljeet set an Asian Games record in the 10m air pistol mixed team event with a score of 484.6, while Neeru Dhanda established a new Games record in women’s trap shooting with a score of 118 out of 125.
Rowing delivered another historic milestone, with Naib Subedar Salman Khan winning India’s first-ever Asian Games medal in the men’s double sculls event.
These performances reflected the Army’s expanding footprint across endurance sports, precision disciplines and combat events, underlining the breadth of its sporting talent.
Women make a significant contribution:
Women athletes played an important role in the Army’s record medal haul. Nine women were part of the 62-member Army contingent, winning two gold medals and one silver.
Their achievements accounted for 15 per cent of the Army’s total medals and an impressive 33 per cent of its gold-medal tally, highlighting the growing contribution of women to the force’s sporting success.
The Army’s overall representation at the Games also increased substantially. Its athletes made up 12.6 per cent of India’s contingent, compared with nine per cent at the 2023 Asian Games.
A testament to the Army’s sporting ecosystem:
The record-breaking campaign was the latest indication of the Indian Army’s growing role in developing elite sporting talent and strengthening India’s performance at major international competitions.
“The achievement is a reflection of the sporting ecosystem that the Indian Army has built over the years,” the official release said.
With 20 medals, a doubled gold tally and multiple national and continental records, the Army contingent emerged as one of the major contributors to India’s Asian Games campaign — combining individual excellence with a collective performance that set a new benchmark for the force.
