Asian Games 2026 Day 1: India Wins Two Silver Medals as Shooting, Hockey and MMA Deliver Strong Start

India made an encouraging start to its campaign at the Asian Games 2026, with athletes producing medal-winning performances and strong results across several disciplines on Day 1. 

Shooting provided two silver medals, and MMA confirmed another medal, while Indian teams in hockey and table tennis registered impressive results. The opening day also brought success in cricket, with the Indian women’s team securing a medal after defeating Bangladesh by 114 runs.

With competition spread across multiple venues, India’s Day 1 campaign featured a mixture of podium finishes, dominant team performances and a few narrow defeats.

Shooting proved to be one of India’s most successful sports on the opening day. Elavenil Valarivan won the silver medal in the women’s 10m air rifle individual final. The result added another major international achievement to the Indian shooter’s career and gave India one of its first medals of the Games.

India also secured silver in the women’s 10m air rifle team event, with Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam and Vidarsa finishing on the podium. The performances underline India’s strength in precision shooting, a discipline that has regularly produced medals for the country at major multi-sport competitions. With several more shooting events scheduled during the Games, the opening-day results provide an early boost to the Indian contingent.

MMA confirms another medal

India also secured a medal in MMA, with Suchika Tarival defeating Altanchimeg Baigalmaa of Mongolia 2-0 in the women’s traditional 60kg quarterfinal. The victory confirmed a medal for Tarival and marked an important result for Indian MMA at the Asian Games. Her progression means India has another athlete guaranteed a place on the podium, with the colour of the medal to be decided in the later stages of the competition.

Hockey teams make dominant starts

India’s hockey teams produced some of the biggest winning margins of Day 1. The Indian men’s hockey team began its campaign with a commanding 13-1 victory, setting the tone for its Pool matches. The women’s team was even more dominant, recording a 19-0 victory in its opening Pool match.

The two results gave Indian hockey a strong start and demonstrated the scoring power of both teams. With the group stages continuing, the Indian sides will now look to maintain their momentum as they progress through the competition.

Table tennis sees mixed results

India’s table tennis teams experienced contrasting results on the opening day. The men’s team recorded a 3-0 victory over Indonesia in its Group F campaign before suffering a 0-3 defeat against Iran. The women’s team, meanwhile, began with back-to-back victories. India defeated Indonesia 3-0 before recording another 3-0 win over Singapore.

The results leave both teams with important matches ahead as the group stages continue.

India’s women’s cricket team also had a successful opening day, defeating Bangladesh by 114 runs. The victory secured a medal for India in the women’s cricket competition. The result was built on a strong all-round performance as India progressed through the tournament.

Cricket’s inclusion at the Asian Games gives the Indian women another opportunity to compete for a continental title, with the remaining stages determining the final medal position.

India also had mixed fortunes in teqball. Quimcy Dsouza was involved in the women’s singles bronze medal match against Yuina S of Japan, but India was unable to secure the medal. In mixed doubles, Quimcy Dsouza and MD Anas also featured in the bronze medal match against Vietnam’s Hoang Minh Gia and Nghi, but again finished outside the medal positions.

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Despite the defeats, reaching the medal matches represents a notable run for the Indian teqball contingent at the Games.

Swimming produces a fifth-place finish

India’s Rishabh Das finished fifth in the men’s 100m backstroke final. While the performance did not result in a medal, a top-five finish at the Asian Games provides valuable experience for the Indian swimmer at the continental level.

Day 1 produced medals in shooting and MMA, dominant performances from both hockey teams, victories in women’s table tennis and a medal secured in women’s cricket.

There were also setbacks in table tennis, teqball and swimming, highlighting the varied fortunes of a large Indian contingent competing across multiple sports.

With several days of competition still remaining, India’s opening-day results provide an early picture of the breadth of its medal challenge at the Asian Games 2026. The focus now shifts to the next set of events, where shooting, combat sports, hockey, badminton, table tennis, swimming and other disciplines will continue to shape India’s campaign.