India at Asian Games 2026: October 2 Schedule, Hockey Final and Boxing Gold Medal Bouts

India enters October 2 at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with another packed schedule, but the focus will increasingly shift towards medal-deciding contests. 

The day features gold-medal opportunities in women’s hockey, boxing and wrestling, while India’s archers, wrestlers, cyclists, sailors and sepaktakraw players remain involved across several stages.

According to the official India schedule, the Indian contingent has events spread from 3:00 AM IST through 4:32 PM IST, with the day particularly crowded during the afternoon medal sessions. The schedule is marked subject to change.

The biggest team event of the day will be the women’s hockey final, where India face defending champions China.

The gold-medal match is scheduled for 3:30 PM IST at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium.

India reached the final after beating South Korea 2-0 in the semifinal, while China advanced after defeating Japan in a shootout. For India, the match carries the additional significance of ending a long wait for Asian Games women’s hockey gold.

The final will be one of the marquee events of the entire Indian campaign.

Boxing: Lovlina and Parveen fight for gold

India has two boxing gold-medal bouts scheduled on October 2. Lovlina Borgohain will compete in the women’s 75kg final against China’s Bao Ziyi. The bout is scheduled for 10:00 AM IST at Nishio Gymnasium. Later in the day, Parveen will contest the women’s 65kg final against Chinese Taipei’s Chen Nien-Chin. That bout is scheduled for 2:15 PM IST.

Both bouts give India an opportunity to add gold medals through the boxing programme.

Wrestling occupies a substantial portion of the schedule, with several Indian athletes potentially involved in medal bouts. Sujeet is listed for the men’s 65kg freestyle bronze-medal match at 2:30 PM IST, followed by the gold-medal match at 2:46 PM if he qualifies. Rajat Ruhal is scheduled for the 125kg freestyle bronze-medal match at 3:21 PM IST, with the gold-medal bout listed for 3:41 PM subject to qualification.

The women’s 50kg category could also provide another medal opportunity through Dipanshi. Her bronze-medal match is scheduled for 3:58 PM, followed by the gold-medal bout at 4:05 PM if she reaches it.

Priya Malik is similarly scheduled for a potential medal session in the women’s 76kg category. Her bronze-medal bout is listed for 4:12 PM, with the gold-medal match at 4:32 PM.

Earlier in the day, the wrestling programme begins with qualification rounds involving Dipanshi, Rajat Ruhal and Priya Malik before moving into quarterfinals and semifinals.

India’s recurve archery teams will also be in action. The women’s team of Ankita Bhakat, Kumkum Anil Mohod and Kirti Sharma faces China in the semifinal at 5:55 AM IST. A bronze-medal match is scheduled for 6:25 AM, while the gold-medal match is listed for 6:50 AM, subject to qualification.

Later, Kumkum Mohod and Dhiraj Bommadevara compete in the mixed-team event. Their semifinal against Japan is scheduled for 8:20 AM IST, with the bronze-medal match at 8:50 AM and gold-medal match at 9:15 AM depending on qualification. The men’s recurve team of Dhiraj Bommadevara, Neeraj Chauhan and Yashdeep Bhoge then faces Iran in its semifinal at 10:55 AM IST. The medal matches are scheduled for 11:25 AM and 11:50 AM.

Sailing also enters a crucial phase. Vishnu Sarvanan competes in the men's ILCA 7 final races from 7:30 AM IST, while Nethra Kumanan contests the women’s ILCA 6 final races from 8:45 AM. Cycling features Ronaldo Singh Laitonjam and David Beckham Elkatohchoongo in the men’s keirin, with the competition progressing from heats and repechages towards the semifinals and finals. The gold-medal final is scheduled for 1:32 PM IST if qualification is achieved.

India’s men’s sepaktakraw team is also scheduled for its semifinal at 12:00 PM IST, while the women’s team has a potential semifinal at 10:30 AM.

The day starts with the men’s golf team at 3:00 AM IST, followed by individual rounds involving Yuvraj Sandhu, Veer Ahlawat and Saptak Talwar. The women’s team begins its third round at 5:49 AM. There is also action in taekwondo, canoe slalom, rugby sevens and track cycling.

For India, however, the defining narrative will unfold later in the day. Boxing finals, wrestling medal bouts and the women’s hockey final provide the biggest medal opportunities, while archery could add to the tally earlier.

October 2 therefore promises another potentially decisive day for India at Aichi-Nagoya — one in which several athletes will move from qualification and knockout rounds to the point where medals are finally decided.