Asian Games 2026: India's Chef de Mission Sahdev Yadav says logistical issues resolved, backs contingent for more medals

India's Chef de Mission for the Asian Games 2026, Sahdev Yadav, said logistical issues concerning accommodation, transport and food have been resolved and expressed confidence that the country's athletes will add more medals to the tally in the coming days.

By Vipul Kashyap India's Chef de Mission for the Asian Games 2026, Sahdev Yadav, said logistical issues concerning accommodation, transport and food have been resolved and expressed confidence that the country's athletes will add more medals to the tally in the coming days.

Speaking to ANI on Monday, Sahdev said the country's medal tally will continue to grow, saying the strong start is "just the beginning" and backing the weightlifting contingent to deliver in the coming days. "It feels really good. This is just the beginning, and there will be a line of medals. Big hopes from weightlifting. Everything is fine now, and we have sorted out all arrangements, including hotels, transport, and food. There are no problems anymore," Sahdev told ANI.

India enjoyed a strong day at the Asian Games 2026, securing more medals across shooting and mixed martial arts, while athletes also progressed to finals in swimming and registered wins in boxing, soft tennis and table tennis. In shooting, Himanshu won silver and Rudrankksh secured bronze in the men's 10m air rifle individual final. Earlier, Rudrankksh and Himanshu had qualified for the final after finishing third and seventh respectively, while Parth Mane finished 11th. The Indian trio had also won silver in the team event.

In mixed martial arts, Suchika Tariyal secured a bronze medal after losing to Singapore's Teo Hui Hoon in the women's traditional 60kg semifinal. In boxing, Sumit defeated Thailand's Bunjong Sinsiri in the men's 70kg Round of 32 bout to advance in the competition.

Soft tennis saw Aadhya Tiwari and Jay Meena record wins over Cambodia and Mongolia in their mixed doubles Group B matches. They also lost to South Korea's Kim Yeon-hwa and Jaekyu Park before suffering defeat against the Philippines' Christy Sanosa and Sherwin Nuguit in the round of 16. In swimming, Srihari Nataraj advanced to the men's 50m backstroke final, with Rishabh Das named as reserve. Mani Akash and Gitesh Shah missed out on the men's 50m freestyle final, while Dhanush Suresh failed to qualify for the men's 100m breaststroke final.

In wushu, Nyeman Wangsu finished 15th in the women's Changquan final. In table tennis, India defeated Pakistan 3-0 in the women's team Group F match. India, however, suffered a setback in sepaktakraw, losing to Japan in the men's team regu Group B match. (ANI)