Asian Games 2026 – Day 1: India’s Opening Medal Tale

When the opening ceremonies finally faded, the first real test began on the shooting range. Elavenil Valarivan, who had been hovering just outside the podium in her previous Asian Games, stepped up and hauled home a silver in the individual women’s 10 m air rifle, posting 252.4 points. It wasn’t enough for gold – Japan’s Hinata Taichi edged her out with a new Games record of 253.0 – but the narrow 0.6‑point gap was a thrill to watch.

Earlier that same morning Valarivan had teamed with Sonam Uttam Maskar and debutante Vidarsa Vinod to snatch another silver in the team event. Those two medals now make up the entire shooting haul for India so far, a comforting start after a record 22‑medal haul at Hangzhou 2022.

Across the arena, India’s women’s table‑tennis squad turned a nail‑biting 1‑2 deficit into a 3‑2 victory over Singapore. Sreeja Akula leveled the tie with a solid 3‑1 win, and it was Yashaswini Ghorpade who clinched the decider 3‑2. The men’s side, however, stumbled – a 0‑3 loss to Iran left them scrambling, with Harmeet Desai falling 2‑3 in a seesaw battle that sealed the defeat.

Not all stories were about setbacks. The Indian cricket and hockey contingents made headlines, each securing decisive wins that kept the medal chatter buzzing. Meanwhile, in the traditional MMA ring, Suchika Tariyal marched into the semifinals of the women’s 60 kg category, guaranteeing at least a bronze for the nation.

Wushu fans, though, saw another disappointment as Vikrant Baliyan exited in the men’s 75 kg sanda round of 16, joining Aparna’s earlier loss in the women’s 52 kg bout – both against Iranian opponents.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tweet echoed the mood: “Hard work and teamwork lead to an outstanding result.” It’s a fitting summary of a day that mixed silver sparkle with gritty defeats, but the overall vibe remains hopeful – especially with cricket, hockey and MMA still in play.