Asian Games 2026: From Ayush Shetty to Sakshi Chaudhary, 5 young Indian athletes to watch

The Asian Games 2026 will be held from September 19 in Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya, Japan, bringing together athletes from 46 countries. More than 10,000 athletes are expected to compete across 43 sports and 469 medal events.

The Indian contingent will look to build on its record-breaking performance at the Hangzhou Games, where it won 106 medals, its best-ever tally, and will aim to cross the 100-medal mark again this edition.

Top 5 young atheletes to watch out:

Rohit Yadav

With Neeraj Chopra absent, Rohit will now carry much of India’s javelin challenge at the Asian Games.


Rohit strengthened his medal credentials by recording a personal best of 87.68 metres at a WACT Silver-level meet in Bhubaneswar. The throw is the second-best mark by an Indian after Neeraj Chopra, making Rohit one of India’s key medal prospects in the event.

Suruchi Phogat

Suruchi Phogat was just 13 when she took up shooting. Now 20, she is set to make her Asian Games debut in Aichi-Nagoya and will be one of India’s leading medal contenders in the 10m air pistol event.

Phogat has been in outstanding form over the past 18 months, winning four consecutive World Cup titles as well as the World Cup Final. She has also set a national record in the 10m air pistol, along with a world junior record, and has climbed to World No. 3.

Although Aichi-Nagoya will mark her first Asian Games appearance, Phogat has already competed at the highest level.

Murali Sreeshankar

Already an Asian Games silver medallist, Murali Sreeshankar will return to the competition aiming to go one step further and claim the gold medal. He missed the Paris Olympics due to an injury but has two Commonwealth Games silver medals to his name, adding to his experience and confidence on the international stage.

At the 2022 Asian Games, China’s Wang Jianan won the men’s long jump gold with an effort of 8.19 metres, while Sreeshankar finished with the silver. This time, the Indian jumper will look to improve on his previous performance and challenge for the top spot.

Ayush Shetty

At 21, Ayush Shetty is emerging as one of India’s most promising young men’s singles shuttlers and is set to make his Asian Games debut. The 6-foot-4-inch Karnataka player has enjoyed an impressive run of form, highlighted by his historic silver medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China.

Shetty became the first Indian man in 61 years to win a men’s singles silver at the continental championships. His recent performances have strengthened his credentials as one of India’s key medal hopes in badminton at the Asian Games.

Sakshi Chaudhary

Sakshi Chaudhary will make her Asian Games debut with her confidence at an all-time high after winning gold in the women’s 51kg category at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last month.

However, her road to the Asian Games was far from easy. To earn a place in the Indian team, Sakshi moved down from 54kg and underwent a demanding weight-loss programme along with strict dietary restrictions.