After a grand opening ceremony on Saturday, India will look to make an early mark at the Asian Games 2026 on Sunday, with a packed day of competition across Aichi-Nagoya.
The spotlight will be on the Indian women’s cricket team as Harmanpreet Kaur and company take on Bangladesh in the semifinal, while Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza returns to action in teqball after missing out on a place in the women’s singles final.
The day will also see India’s mixed doubles teqball pair compete for bronze, giving the country another chance to finish on the podium in the sport’s Asian Games debut.
Harmanpreet Singh- and Salima Tete-led India’s men’s and women’s hockey teams will also begin their campaigns, with both sides eyeing gold and a strong start to their respective title quests. The Asian Games also carry added significance for hockey, with the competition offering a route towards qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Shooting, wushu, swimming, badminton and table tennis will be among the other major sports where India will begin its challenge on Sunday, as several medal hopefuls enter the competition for the first time.
Shooting trio take aim at opening opportunity
India’s shooting campaign gets underway with Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod Kochalumkal competing in the women’s 10m air rifle qualification.
The trio will look to progress to the final and put India in contention for an early medal in a discipline that has traditionally been one of the country’s strongest at the Asian Games.
Dsouza eyes redemption, mixed doubles pair target bronze
Teqball will provide India with two opportunities to add to its medal tally. Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza will return to the table for the women’s singles bronze-medal match against Japan’s Yuina Sakamoto after suffering a 2-1 semifinal defeat. Dsouza won the opening set but could not close out the contest after losing the next two.
India will also feature in the mixed doubles bronze-medal match against Vietnam, with both contests offering the country a chance to secure a podium finish in teqball’s Asian Games debut.
Harmanpreet’s India one win from final
The Indian women’s cricket team will resume its gold-medal defence against Bangladesh in the second semifinal.
Harmanpreet Kaur and company will be aiming to reach the final and move closer to retaining the gold medal won at the previous Asian Games. Bangladesh, however, will look to derail India’s title defence and secure a place in the gold-medal match.
Paddlers face early tests in Group F
India’s men’s and women’s table tennis teams will begin their respective Asian Games campaigns with Group F fixtures.
The women’s team will face Indonesia and Singapore, while the men’s team will meet Indonesia and Iran. The opening matches will set the tone for India’s bid to progress from the group stage.
Swimmers dive into Asian Games action
Three Indian swimmers will make their Asian Games appearances in the men’s sprint events. Akash Mani will compete in the 100m freestyle, while Utkarsh Patil and Rishabh Das will take part in the 100m backstroke heats. Their immediate target will be to advance to the next stage of their respective events.
Hockey teams begin their medal pursuit
The Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams will both make their first appearances in Aichi-Nagoya. The women will face Uzbekistan in Pool B, while the men will take on Indonesia in Pool A. Both teams will look to start their pool campaigns with victories and lay an early foundation for a run deep into the competition.
Women shuttlers open against Kazakhstan
India’s women’s badminton team will begin its Asian Games campaign against Kazakhstan in the first round of the team event.
The Indian shuttlers will be looking to negotiate their opening tie and advance to the next stage as they begin their bid for a podium finish.
Wushu duo step into the ring
India’s wushu challenge will begin with Aparna and Vikrant Baliyan in action in their respective weight categories. Aparna will face Iran’s Sogand Sinkaeechetan in the women’s 52kg category, while Baliyan will take on Iran’s Soheil Mousavi in the men’s 75kg division. Both will be looking to progress and keep India’s medal hopes alive.
Asian Games 2026 September 20: India’s schedule and results
| Asian Games 2026 Day 1 schedule | |||||
| Time (IST) | Sport | Event | India / Indian Athlete(s) | Opponent / Details | Result |
| 06:15 AM | Shooting | 10m Air Rifle Women Individual – Qualification | Sonam Uttam Maskar; Vidarsa Vinod Kochalumkal; Elavenil Valarivan | Multiple | TBA |
| 06:30 AM | Teqball | Women’s Singles – Bronze Medal Match | Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza | Yuina Sakamoto (Japan) | TBA |
| 06:30 AM | Table Tennis | Women’s Team – Group F, Match 2 | India | Indonesia | TBA |
| 07:00 AM | Teqball | Mixed Doubles – Bronze Medal Match | India | Vietnam | TBA |
| 07:22 AM | Swimming | Men’s 100m Freestyle – Heat 5 | Akash Mani | Multiple | TBA |
| 07:30 AM | Hockey | Women – Pool B, Match 3 | India | Uzbekistan | TBA |
| 07:31 AM | Swimming | Men’s 100m Backstroke – Heat 1 | Utkarsh Patil | Multiple | TBA |
| 07:34 AM | Swimming | Men’s 100m Backstroke – Heat 2 | Rishabh Das | Multiple | TBA |
| 09:00 AM | Table Tennis | Men’s Team – Group F, Match 1 | India | Indonesia | TBA |
| 10:30 AM | Cricket | Women’s Semifinal 2 | India | Bangladesh | TBA |
| 11:30 AM | Badminton | Women’s Team – 1st Round, Tie 7 | India | Kazakhstan | TBA |
| 11:30 AM | Hockey | Men – Pool A, Match 2 | India | Indonesia | TBA |
| 12:30 PM | Table Tennis | Women’s Team – Group F, Match 3 | India | Singapore | TBA |
| 03:00 PM | Table Tennis | Men’s Team – Group F, Match 3 | India | Iran | TBA |
| 03:10 PM | Wushu | Women’s 52kg – Match 6 | Aparna | Sogand Sinkaeeichetan (Iran) | TBA |
| 04:50 PM | Wushu | Men’s 75kg – Match 2 | Vikrant Baliyan | Soheil Mousavi (Iran) | TBA |
Asian Games 2026 September 20: Live telecast
The live telecast of September 20 events of the Asian Games 2026 will be available on Sony Sports Network in India
Asian Games 2026 September 20: Live streaming
The live streaming of the September 20 events of the Asian Games 2026 will be available on the SonyLIV app and website in India.
Follow all the latest updates from India’s Asian Games campaign on September 20 here
