AICHI-NAGOYA – A landmark Friday at the 2026 Asian Games saw India surge forward with a masterful six-medal haul, underscored by a historic breakthrough in the field events and a long-awaited golden moment on the shooting range. As the sun set on the competition venues, India’s total medal count swelled to 23, comprising two gold, nine silver, and 12 bronze, signaling a significant mid-tournament push.
Shooting Finally Strikes Gold
The drought on the shooting range ended in emphatic fashion as the duo of Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet clinched the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team final. Displaying nerves of steel and impeccable precision, the pair dominated from the opening shot, finishing with an aggregate score of 484.6—a performance that shattered both the Games and Asian records. Suruchi contributed a stellar 245.7, while Kamaljeet added 238.9 to ensure the top spot on the podium.
This victory provided a vital morale boost for the Indian shooting contingent, which had faced a series of narrow misses in previous 10m events. The momentum carried over to the men’s 50m rifle 3-position team event, where the trio of Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Rudrankksh Patil, and Niraj Kumar secured a hard-fought silver. With an aggregate score of 1762, the Indians finished just four points shy of a gold-medal performance from China. Both Tomar and Kumar also qualified for the individual final, placing fifth and eighth respectively in a highly competitive field.
Baranica Makes Pole Vault History
In a watershed moment for Indian athletics, Baranica Elangovan etched her name into the history books by becoming the first Indian athlete—male or female—to stand on an Asian Games podium in pole vault.
Competing in a tense women’s final, Baranica cleared 4.15m, tying with Kazakhstan’s Polina Ivanova. With both athletes failing to navigate the 4.25m mark and remaining deadlocked on countback, officials awarded the pair a joint bronze medal. While the result was a career-defining achievement for Baranica, it was a day of mixed fortunes for the Indian camp, as teammate Sindhusree Ganesha failed to record a mark, missing her attempts at the lower heights.
Gulveer Improves to Silver
On the track, distance runner Gulveer Singh demonstrated why he is currently one of India’s most consistent performers. Following up on his bronze medal performance at the Hangzhou Asian Games, the 28-year-old Naib Subedar upgraded to silver in a grueling men’s 10,000m final.
Clocking 28:29.38, Gulveer remained in lockstep with the lead pack for the majority of the race. While he was unable to match a blistering final surge from Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew, who took gold in 28:27.51, Gulveer’s podium finish reaffirms his status as a regional powerhouse, coming on the heels of his impressive double-medal showing at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Rounding out the day’s medal tally in athletics, Manpreet Kaur delivered a bronze in the women’s shot put. Her best throw of 17.17m secured her third place behind the dominant Chinese duo of Jiayoan Song and Linru Zhang.
Badminton Setback and Squash Success
The day was not without its trials. The Indian badminton campaign suffered a significant blow when defending champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were ousted in a stunning first-round exit. The duo fell 21-12, 19-21, 14-21 to Thailand’s Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Peeratchai Sukphun. A candid Rankireddy noted that “mental blocks” at critical junctures provided the Thai pair with the opening they needed to capitalize.
However, India’s prospects remain bright in other racquet sports. The squash contingent is guaranteed at least three medals, with Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar punching their tickets to the mixed doubles semifinals. In the singles brackets, Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh both advanced to the last four, with Anahat cruising past teammate Tanvi Khanna and Abhay dispatching Japan’s Ryonosuke Tsukue in straight games.
Furthermore, the table tennis pair of Manush Shah and Diya Chitale added a bronze to the tally after a valiant effort in their mixed doubles semifinal against the formidable Chinese pair of Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha.
As the Games progress, the Indian sports machine continues to hum with anticipation. Both the men’s and women’s kabaddi squads have stormed into their respective finals, ensuring that the Indian anthem will likely ring out once more before the closing ceremony. With boxing and 400m track events also progressing, the road to the final days of Aichi-Nagoya promises to be as high-stakes as it is exhilarating.
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