15 Rising Indian Athletes to Watch at Asian Games 2026

India will arrive at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with plenty of familiar names. Manu Bhaker, PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Mirabai Chanu and several other established stars will naturally attract most of the attention. 

But behind them is a group of athletes who may not yet be household names. Some are teenagers making their Asian Games debut. Some have already beaten bigger names. Others have quietly produced world-class performances without getting the same attention as India's biggest sporting stars. Here are 15 lesser-known Indian athletes who could put their names on the Asian Games medal list.

1. Animesh Kujur – Athletics, 100m & 200m

Animesh Kujur is no longer a complete unknown among Indian athletics fans, but the Asian Games could be the stage that takes him to a much bigger audience. The young sprinter has been selected for both the 100m and 200m, as well as the mixed 4x100m relay. He has also spoken openly about learning from his first international campaign and becoming smarter about how he approaches races. That experience could matter in Japan. In sprinting, the smallest mistake can decide everything, and Kujur now has a chance to show that he has learned from his earlier races.

2. Rohit Yadav – Athletics, Javelin Throw 

With Neeraj Chopra missing the Asian Games after an ankle ligament tear, the Indian javelin will have a different face this time. Rohit Yadav is one of the men carrying that responsibility. The 25-year-old produced a massive 87.05m throw at the Inter-State Championships in June, becoming only the third Indian at the time to cross the 87m mark. The effort also earned him the Asian Games qualification mark. But Rohit has already shown that 87m is no longer a one-off. Just a few weeks ago, he bettered his personal best with an 87.68m throw at the World Athletics Continental Tour meet in Bhubaneswar. 

It was the biggest throw of his career and moved him to second on India's all-time list. Rohit also has major-event experience, having finished sixth at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. His 2026 season, however, has taken his level to another height. If he can reproduce his best form in Japan, he has the distance to put himself firmly in the medal conversation.

3. Karthik Unnikrishnan – Athletics, Triple Jump 

If you know Praveen Chithravel, you may have heard the name Karthik Unnikrishnan too. But outside athletics circles, he remains relatively unknown. Karthik finished second behind Chithravel at the Inter-State Championships with a jump of 16.80 m, comfortably above the Asian Games qualification mark. He will face a difficult field in Aichi-Nagoya, but triple jump is an event where one big attempt can completely change the standings. Karthik already has the distance. The question is whether he can produce it when the Asian Games medals are on the line.

4. Tilottama Sen – Shooting, 50m Rifle, 3 Positions 

Tilottama Sen's story is one of the more interesting ones on this list. She became the youngest Indian shooter to win an Olympic quota place when she qualified for the women's 10m air rifle event before Paris 2024. But she eventually missed out on the Olympic team after losing the selection trials. That disappointment was difficult for the teenager. She has spoken about how long it took her to recover from the blow. Now, at 18, Sen has made the Asian Games team, this time in 50m rifle 3 positions, marking her first appearance at a multi-discipline Games. A major international medal would be a huge next step for a shooter who has already experienced both the excitement and disappointment of elite sport at a very young age.

5. Suruchi Singh – Shooting, 10m Air Pistol 

Suruchi Singh may not have the same public profile as Manu Bhaker or Esha Singh, but her results suggest that she deserves attention. In December 2025, she won the ISSF World Cup Final in Doha and set a junior world record in the process. Then, in May 2026, she won another major World Cup gold in Munich, beating teammate Esha Singh in the 10m air pistol final. That result made her World No. 1 in the event. She will compete in the individual event as well as team events at the Asian Games. If her recent form continues, Suruchi could be one of India's quieter shooting medal stories.

6. Taniksha Khatri – Fencing, Women's Épée 

Fencing rarely receives the same attention in India as shooting, wrestling or badminton. That makes Taniksha Khatri exactly the kind of athlete who fits this list. Khatri is part of India's women's épée team for the Asian Games, having led the challenge alongside Prachi Lohan after their gold and bronze medal-winning performances at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships. She will have to deal with some of Asia's strongest fencing nations, but India has been making steady progress in the discipline: Khatri and Lohan recently became the first Indian women's épée fencers to reach the Main Table of 64 at a Senior World Championships. For Khatri, the Asian Games could be an opportunity to move from being a name known mainly within fencing circles to one known across Indian sport.

7. Ayush Shetty – Badminton, Men's Singles 

Ayush Shetty might be stretching the definition of "unknown" now. The 21-year-old has had a breakthrough year, reaching the 2026 Badminton Asia Championships final after beating several top players, including world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the semi-finals, becoming the first Indian men's singles finalist at the event in 61 years. He also stunned defending world champion Shi Yuqi in the opening round of the 2026 World Championships in Delhi. But an Asian Games medal would still be a major achievement. 

Shetty has already shown that he is comfortable against the biggest names. The challenge now is doing it consistently across a tournament where every match carries enormous pressure. If he finds his best form in Japan, he could become one of India's most important badminton stories of the Games.

8. Balraj Panwar – Rowing, Men's Quadruple Sculls 

Balraj Panwar has already spent years trying to put Indian rowing on the map. This time, however, his Asian Games event is the men's quadruple sculls, not the single sculls. Panwar has been competing at the highest international level and was part of India's quadruple sculls crew at the 2026 World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam. Rowing is not a sport that gets much mainstream attention in India, but that could change quickly if Panwar and his crew reach the podium in Japan.

9. Asmita Dey – Judo, Women's 48 kg 

Asmita Dey has already given Indian judo one of its biggest moments of 2026. At the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, she became the first Indian judoka to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal. She now enters the Asian Games as a much more experienced athlete than she was a year ago. Dey also finished fifth at the 2026 Asian Senior Championships, showing that she is already capable of competing deep into major continental events. A medal in Aichi-Nagoya would take her remarkable year another step forward.

10. Alisha Choudhary – Karate, Women's 55 kg Kumite 

Alisha Choudhary is one of the most interesting names in India's karate team. In June, she became the first Indian woman to win gold at the Asian Senior Karate Championship in the 55kg kumite category, beating Japan's Rina Kodo in a narrow final. Her place at the Asian Games was not straightforward because of administrative issues around India's karate federation. But she eventually received the required clearance and will compete in Japan. The timing could hardly be better. She arrives at the Games as a reigning Asian champion in her category.

11. Sujeet Kalkal – Wrestling, Men's 65kg 

Sujeet Kalkal is perhaps the biggest "future star" on this list. The 23-year-old has been unbeaten in 2026 and won the Asian Championships in the men's 65kg category, ending India's long wait for an Asian title in a freestyle weight class other than 57kg. That result also made him World No. 1 in the division. His Asian Games challenge will be serious, especially with Japan's Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka a likely presence in the field. But Kalkal has already shown this year that he belongs in the conversation.

12. Priya Ghanghas – Boxing, Women's 60kg 

Priya Ghanghas has gone from a promising boxer to a major medal threat in a very short time. She won the Asian Boxing Championships gold medal in 2026, defeating North Korea's Won Un-gyong in the 60kg final. Then came another huge result: gold at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Her aggressive style has made her one of India's most exciting new boxers, but the Asian Games will bring another level of competition. After winning gold at both the Asian Championships and Commonwealth Games this year, Ghanghas has every reason to believe she can challenge for another podium finish.

13. Priya Malik – Wrestling, Women's 76kg 

Priya Malik is another name that could become much more familiar after the Asian Games. She earned her place in India's wrestling team in the women's 76kg category and will compete against some of the strongest wrestlers in Asia. Malik has already built a strong junior resume including age-group world titles, but the senior Asian Games stage is a different challenge. Women's wrestling has produced some of India's most memorable international moments in recent years. Malik now has the opportunity to add her own chapter to that story.

14. Yashaswini Ghorpade – Table Tennis, Women's Singles 

Indian table tennis has usually been associated with names such as Manika Batra and Sharath Kamal. Yashaswini Ghorpade is part of the next generation. She has earned a place in India's women's Asian Games squad and will compete in women's singles as well as team and mixed-doubles events. She enters in strong form, having beaten Paris 2024 Olympian Sreeja Akula in the final of the 2026 Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships. The Asian Games field will be extremely strong, but Ghorpade has already shown enough at the international level to make her a player worth watching. A deep run in the singles event or a medal in the team competition could push her into the national spotlight.

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15. Syndrela Das – Table Tennis, Women's Team & Doubles 

And finally, there is perhaps the most obvious "remember this name" pick on the list. Syndrela Das is only 17. The Kolkata teenager has gone from the junior circuit to India's senior Asian Games team in a remarkably short time, and is one of the youngest member of India's contingent in Japan. She has already beaten experienced Indian star Manika Batra in straight games and won medals at the Asian Youth Championships. Das will compete in the women's team and doubles events in Japan. She may not yet be a familiar name outside table tennis circles. But that could change very quickly.

The Names To Remember 

India will have its superstars in Aichi-Nagoya. But major multi-sport events have a habit of creating new stars. Animesh Kujur could announce himself on the track. Rohit Yadav could carry the javelin forward. Suruchi Singh and Tilottama Sen could produce big moments on the shooting range. 

Sujeet Kalkal and Priya Malik could make noise on the wrestling mat. And a teenager like Syndrela Das could suddenly become a name known far beyond table tennis. None of these athletes is guaranteed a medal. The Asian Games field is too strong for that. But they all have something that makes them worth watching: the chance to turn a relatively quiet name into one of India's next big sporting stories.