India closed the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya with 85 medals and fourth place. Here is what the campaign means.

The tally of 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze is India’s second-best ever, behind only the 106 medals of Hangzhou 2023. Fourth place matches 2023 and is the joint-best finish since 1962.

Athletics delivered the most medals at 24. Shooting added 15, including three gold. Archery led the gold count with five, and boxing won three.

The final two days produced 11 of the 21 golds. The men’s cricket team beat Pakistan by 19 runs. Both hockey teams won gold and qualified for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

The historic firsts defined the campaign. Archer Kumkum Mohod, 17, won India’s first women’s recurve gold. Golfer Pranavi Urs won the first women’s golf gold. The women’s hockey team ended a 44-year wait for gold.

China, Japan and South Korea finished ahead of India. Uzbekistan was fifth. The closing ceremony is on October 4 in Nagoya, with shooter Neeru Dhanda carrying the flag.