AICHI-NAGOYA, Japan | September 24, 2026 —
Asian Games 2026 India Today opened with medals, heartbreak and a packed day still ahead as Indian athletes launched their September 24 campaign across rowing, wushu, shooting, athletics, canoe sprint, squash, hockey and kabaddi.
India has already added two medals this morning.
Satnam Singh and Salman Khan claimed bronze in the men’s double sculls rowing final, while wushu star Roshibina Devi secured silver in the women’s 60kg sanda event.
Balraj Panwar came agonisingly close to another rowing medal but finished fourth in the men’s single sculls final.
And the medal hunt is far from over.
Indian shooters are competing in the men’s 10m air pistol and mixed skeet events, more rowing finals are scheduled later in the morning, athletics brings major medal events in the evening, and India’s men’s hockey team faces South Korea in an important Pool A clash.
Roshibina Devi Takes Silver in Wushu
Roshibina Devi entered Thursday morning carrying hopes of India’s second gold medal of the Games.
The Indian wushu athlete faced China’s Zhang Xiaoyu in the women’s sanda 60kg final.
However, Zhang controlled the gold-medal contest and defeated Roshibina 2-0.
Roshibina still walks away with a valuable silver medal and another major Asian Games achievement.
The result is particularly significant because Roshibina had also won silver at the previous Asian Games.
She entered the 2026 final after defeating Indonesia’s Thania Kusumaningtyas 2-0 in the semifinal.
Her campaign has now given India another podium finish in Aichi-Nagoya.
Satnam Singh and Salman Khan Win Rowing Bronze
India’s first medal of the morning came from the water.
Satnam Singh and Salman Khan produced a strong performance in the men’s double sculls Final A to claim bronze.
The Indian pair clocked 6:13.25 and finished third.
China’s Yi Xudi and Nie Yide won gold in 6:09.77, while Uzbekistan’s Mekhrojbek Mamatkulov and Pavel Sorin took silver in 6:10.49.
Satnam and Salman remained in second place through the 500m, 1,000m and 1,500m marks.
However, Uzbekistan overtook them in the final stretch.
India still secured an important bronze and opened Thursday’s medal account.
Balraj Panwar Misses Medal by One Place
Balraj Panwar came painfully close to the podium in the men’s single sculls Final A.
He remained second through much of the race and entered the final 500 metres in medal position.
However, Uzbekistan’s Shakhboz Kholmurzaev and Japan’s Tatsuya Sakurama overtook him during the closing stretch.
Balraj finished fourth in 6:54.80.
China’s Deng Zhiwei took gold, while Kholmurzaev claimed silver and Sakurama secured bronze.
The fourth-place finish will hurt, especially after Balraj had remained in contention for silver for most of the race.
More Rowing Medals Still Available Today
India still has several rowing medal opportunities.
The women’s four team of Gurbani Kaur, Aleena Anto, Tendenthoi Devi Haobijam and Poonam will compete in Final A.
Later, Rohit and Ujjwal Kumar Singh will contest the lightweight men’s double sculls Final A.
India will also field Arvind Singh, Kulwinder Singh, Navdeep Singh and Jakar Khan in the men’s quadruple sculls Final A.
That means rowing could still add more medals before the afternoon.
Shooting Could Deliver Another Big Medal Boost
India’s shooters remain one of the biggest attractions of the morning session.
Aakash Bharadwaj, Kamaljeet and Kedarling Balakrishna Uchaganve are competing in the men’s 10m air pistol qualification and team medal event.
If they qualify individually, the men’s 10m air pistol final will take place later in the day.
India also has a strong mixed skeet combination.
Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Parinaaz Dhaliwal are competing in qualification, with the medal final scheduled later in the morning.
Shooting has already contributed heavily to India’s medal count at these Games, making every firing-point result worth watching today.
Athletics Campaign Moves Into Spotlight
Thursday also brings a major athletics programme for India.
Niharika Vashisht and Asha Ilango will compete in the women’s triple jump final at around 4:14 PM IST.
Meanwhile, Seema will run in the women’s 10,000m final at around 5:55 PM.
India could also reach the mixed 4x400m relay final, subject to qualification from the morning heats.
Sprinters Animesh Kujur and Gurindervir Singh begin their men’s 100m campaigns later in the day.
For Indian fans, athletics now becomes one of the most important sports to track as the Games move deeper into the competition.
Canoe Sprint Offers Morning Medal Chances
India also has medal opportunities in canoe sprint.
The men’s kayak four crew is scheduled for the 500m Final A, while Raju Rawat and Gyaneshwor Singh Philem compete in the men’s canoe double 500m Final A.
Megha Pradeep is also involved in the women’s canoe single 200m competition.
Qualification results will determine whether additional Indian boats advance into medal races.
Anahat Singh Begins Important Squash Push
Squash also deserves attention today.
Young Indian star Anahat Singh will compete in the women’s singles Round of 16.
Tanvi Khanna is also in women’s singles action.
In the men’s draw, Abhay Singh and Veer Chotrani begin important knockout matches.
The stakes are unusually high at these Asian Games because squash has entered the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic programme, adding another layer of significance to performances in Aichi-Nagoya.
India vs South Korea in Men’s Hockey
India’s men’s hockey team faces South Korea at 11:30 AM IST in Pool A.
The Indian side enters the contest after producing a dominant attacking performance earlier in the tournament.
South Korea, however, traditionally presents a much tougher tactical challenge.
The match could prove important for India’s position in the pool and the road toward the knockout stage.
Kabaddi Teams Also in Action
India’s men’s kabaddi team faces Chinese Taipei at 9:45 AM IST.
Later in the day, the Indian women take on Japan at 4:15 PM IST.
India traditionally enters Asian Games kabaddi with high expectations, so both teams will want to maintain momentum before the decisive knockout phase.
Swimming, Table Tennis and Boxing Add to Packed Schedule
Indian swimmer Benedicton Beniston competes in the men’s 50m butterfly heats, with a place in the final available later in the day.
India’s men’s 4x100m freestyle relay team will also attempt to reach the final.
In table tennis, Diya Chitale and Yashaswini Ghorpade begin their women’s doubles campaign, while Sreeja Akula and Syndrela Das also feature.
Boxer Parveen will face Tajikistan’s Malika Nozimova in the women’s 65kg preliminary round.
India therefore has meaningful action almost continuously from early morning into the evening.
India’s Medal Count Keeps Moving
India came into September 24 with its campaign gaining momentum across shooting, cricket, weightlifting, badminton, soft tennis and mixed martial arts.
Thursday morning has already added a rowing bronze and a wushu silver.
More importantly, several medal events remain.
Shooting, rowing, canoe sprint and athletics can all add to the total before the day ends.
Asian Games 2026 India Today: What to Watch Next
The next major Indian events to watch include:
7:10 AM — Women’s Four Rowing Final
9:45 AM — India vs Chinese Taipei, Men’s Kabaddi
11:15 AM — Skeet Mixed Team Final, subject to qualification
11:30 AM — India vs South Korea, Men’s Hockey
12:00 PM — Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls Final
12:15 PM — Men’s 10m Air Pistol Final, subject to qualification
1:00 PM — Men’s Quadruple Sculls Final
4:14 PM — Women’s Triple Jump Final
4:15 PM — India vs Japan, Women’s Kabaddi
5:55 PM — Women’s 10,000m Final
September 24 has already delivered drama for India.
Roshibina Devi has added another Asian Games silver. Satnam Singh and Salman Khan have put rowing on the medal board. Balraj Panwar missed the podium by one place.
But several of India’s biggest opportunities are still ahead.
For Indian sports fans, Thursday could remain a medal day from sunrise to evening.
