New Delhi [India], October 15 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with India's Asian Games 2026 contingent at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday, as athletes, coaches and officials gathered to mark the country's performance at the continental multi-sport event.
The Indian women's cricket team, which clinched the gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Games in Japan, also attended the programme after flying in from Raipur on Thursday. Veteran batter Harmanpreet Kaur presented a signed jersey to the Prime Minister.
Athletes felicitated the Prime Minister with signed jerseys, a signed hockey stick and a shawl during the interaction. India's men's and women's hockey teams also presented jerseys to Modi, while women's team captain Salima Tete gifted him a hockey stick.
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya was present at the event and sat among the athletes. Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha also attended the programme.
The gathering included members of the Indian contingent, their coaches and support staff, IOA officials, representatives of National Sports Federations and officials from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
India finished fourth in the medal standings at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, winning 85 medals, comprising 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze. The result marked India's second consecutive finish among the top five nations at the continental event.
The contingent also registered several notable milestones across disciplines. These included gold medals for both the men's and women's hockey teams in the same edition, historic performances in recurve archery and India's maiden medals in soft tennis and mixed martial arts (MMA).
India also secured its first-ever gold medal in the women's trap event, while the silver medal in weightlifting ended a 28-year wait for an Asian Games medal in the discipline. A silver in Greco-Roman wrestling also marked a significant milestone, ending a 64-year wait for an Indian finalist in the event.