New Delhi [India], September 18 (ANI): Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant has urged fans across the country to rally behind the Indian contingent at the Asian Games 2026, calling for continued support for athletes as they prepare to compete in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
In a video shared on Instagram, Pant said he was excited to watch the Games and encouraged fans to support the athletes regardless of the results.
“Really excited to watch the Asian Games. Let us get behind our Indian athletes and support them, and let's hope they give their best. Regardless of what happens, let us get behind them, give them a big cheer and a lot of support,” Pant said.
The official opening ceremony of the 20th edition of the Asian Games is scheduled for Saturday, with double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor set to lead the Indian contingent as flagbearers.
India’s chef de mission Sahdev Yadav had earlier confirmed Bhaker’s appointment, while the Athletics Federation of India subsequently announced Toor as the second flagbearer.
Bhaker, who won two bronze medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics, will compete in the women’s 10m air pistol, women’s 25m pistol and 10m air pistol mixed team events. She became the first athlete from independent India to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympic Games.
Toor will aim to secure his third consecutive Asian Games gold medal in the men’s shot put. He won the title at the 2018 Jakarta Games and retained it at Hangzhou in 2023 with a throw of 20.36 metres.
The Asian Games will run from September 19 to October 4, with more than 500 Indian athletes competing across 37 sports. Athletes from 45 countries and regions will take part in 43 sports and 469 medal events, with Japan hosting the continental multi-sport event for the third time after Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.
India finished fourth in the medal standings at the Hangzhou Games with 107 medals, including 28 gold, 38 silver and 41 bronze, and will look to build on that performance in Japan.
The Indian contingent features five individual Olympic medallists, although defending javelin throw champion Neeraj Chopra has withdrawn from the Games due to an ankle injury.
PV Sindhu will spearhead India’s badminton campaign, while Mirabai Chanu will lead the weightlifting contingent. Lovlina Borgohain will compete in boxing, and Aman Sehrawat will represent India in wrestling.
India’s boxers will arrive after a record-breaking Commonwealth Games campaign, where they secured 10 medals, including seven gold.
Athletics is expected to be a significant part of India’s campaign, with more than 70 track and field athletes set to compete. Gulveer Singh, Tejaswin Shankar and Olympian Sarvesh Kushare are among the athletes to watch, while Toor will seek to extend his success in the shot put.
India will also aim to defend its titles in men’s and women’s cricket and kabaddi, along with the men’s hockey crown.
In men’s cricket, Shreyas Iyer will lead the title defence in the T20 competition, with teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi included in the squad. The women’s team, also defending champions, will be led by T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
Hockey will carry added significance, with both the men’s and women’s tournaments serving as qualification events for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The winners of the two competitions will secure direct qualification for the Games.
India will also have opportunities to earn LA 2028 quota places in archery, sailing, squash, surfing and tennis.
The Indian contingent will begin its campaign in Japan with athletes competing across a wide range of disciplines, as the country seeks to sustain the momentum of its record medal haul at Hangzhou. (ANI)
"Give them a big cheer and a lot of support": Rishabh Pant urges fans to back Indian athletes ahead of Asian Games 2026
