Lovlina Borgohain won the women’s 75kg boxing gold at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, defeating China’s Bao Ziyi in the final to claim her maiden Asian Games title. The victory ended India’s 12-year wait for a women’s boxing gold since Mary Kom’s 51kg triumph in 2014, making Lovlina only the second Indian woman boxer to achieve the feat. She entered the final after a thrilling 3-2 semifinal victory over Kazakhstan’s Natalya Bogdanova. Against Bao, Lovlina overcame an aggressive challenge, particularly in the second round. She won the opening round 3-2 with patient counterpunching, then produced cleaner blows under pressure to take the second round 4-1, moving 2-0 ahead on the judges’ scorecards.

Ankush Panghal won the men’s 80kg boxing gold at the 2026 Asian Games, defeating South Korea’s Kim Minseong 4-0 in the final. The 21-year-old Haryana boxer became the first Indian male boxer since Amit Panghal in 2018 to win Asian Games gold. Ankush controlled the bout throughout, taking the opening round 4-1, dominating the second 5-0 and winning the final round 4-1. His victory completed a hat-trick of boxing gold medals for India at the Games. Lovlina Borgohain had earlier won the women’s 75kg title, while Parveen Hooda claimed gold in the women’s 65kg category. Ankush’s triumph also ended India’s wait for a men’s Asian Games boxing champion since 2018.

Sujeet Kalkal completed a remarkable comeback to win India’s first wrestling gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games, defeating Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev 10-9 in the men’s 65kg freestyle final. Kalkal had trailed 2-9 before scoring eight unanswered points to clinch victory. Earlier, he had beaten Japan’s Kotaro Kiyooka, the reigning Olympic champion, in a tense 3-3 semi-final. Kalkal advanced on criteria after scoring the bigger move, earning a place in the final against Kudiev. Within a few hours, the Indian wrestler had overcome both an Olympic champion and a seven-point deficit. The victory delivered the biggest title of his young career and India’s first wrestling gold at the 2026 Asian Games.

India has won 60 medals at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, with the Games set to conclude on October 4. The report says India sent 495 athletes competing across 36 sports, after winning a record 106 medals at Hangzhou in 2022. India’s first medal came from Elavenil Valarivan, who secured two silver medals in women’s 10m air rifle events. The tally includes golds in cricket, kabaddi, shooting, archery and athletics, alongside medals from MMA, soft tennis, weightlifting, badminton, rowing, squash, wushu, kurash, boxing, wrestling and other events. Athletics has contributed 24 medals, while India’s medal tally spans 16 sports. The medal table records 10 gold, 21 silver and 28 bronze medals.

India ended a 44-year wait for women’s hockey gold at the Asian Games, defeating China 1-0 in the 2026 final. India had last won the title in 1982, when women’s hockey made its Asian Games debut. Lalremsiami Hmarzote scored the goal in the first quarter, while goalkeeper Savita Punia saved a penalty stroke in the second quarter to deny China an equaliser. India’s defence then withstood Chinese pressure, with Punia making a penalty stroke save. The gold also secured India’s place at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. India had finished runners-up in 1998 and 2018. China won silver, while Japan took bronze after defeating South Korea in a shoot-out.

India enjoyed a historic day in recurve archery at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The women’s team of Ankita Bhakat, Kirti Sharma and Kumkum Mohod won India’s first-ever Asian Games gold in the women’s recurve team event, defeating South Korea 5-3 in the final. The men’s team of Dhiraj Bommadevara, Yashdeep Bhoge and Neeraj Chauhan also reached the final and secured silver after losing 1-5 to South Korea. India’s mixed recurve team had earlier won silver. The results strengthened India’s medal haul in archery at the Games. 

India secured a bronze medal in the men’s quadrant sepaktakraw event at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya after losing their semifinal to Japan 0-2. The Indian team had reached the semifinals after an impressive group-stage campaign, defeating Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. The medal marks India’s first men’s sepaktakraw medal at the Asian Games since the 2018 Jakarta edition. Veteran Manipuri player Akash Yumnam played an important role in the team’s campaign alongside Bobby Kumar, Malemnganba Singh, Lokhon Singh, Ram Kumar Sharma and Arun. The bronze adds another medal to India’s growing tally at the Games. (PC: X)

Brazil’s football team is following a tightly controlled diet in Kolkata ahead of its FIFA friendly against India. The squad has brought its own chefs and nutritionists, who are preparing nearly all meals according to specific nutritional requirements. Players are eating almost five times a day, with menus featuring rice, spaghetti, beans, fish, chicken, meat, vegetables and salads. Fish has received particular attention, with the Brazilian players enjoying fresh Bhetki prepared by their own culinary team. Oil use is controlled, while olive oil is preferred. The team is also following regulated beverage and hydration arrangements, including externally sourced drinking water. (PC: Reuters)

Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain celebrated her 29th birthday with a historic gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. Competing in the women’s 75kg category, Lovlina defeated China’s Ziyi Bao by a unanimous 5-0 decision in the final. She controlled the bout after a closely contested opening round and maintained her composure to secure victory. The triumph made Lovlina only the second Indian woman boxer after MC Mary Kom to win Asian Games gold. It also upgraded her silver medal from the 2022 Hangzhou Games. 

India’s Ankita Bhakat, Kumkum Mohod and Kirti Sharma created history at the 2026 Asian Games by defeating South Korea 5-3 in the women’s recurve team final on October 2. The victory secured India’s first-ever Asian Games gold in this event. India had earlier defeated China 5-1 in the semifinal to reach the final for the first time. The contest remained closely fought, with the teams level after the opening two sets. India took control in the third, while 17-year-old Kumkum delivered crucial 10s under pressure, including the decisive final arrow that sealed the historic victory. (PC: Reuters)