Asian Games 2026 Day 7: India win seven medals as kabaddi groups ship gold double in action-packed Saturday
NEW DELHI: India loved certainly one of its most efficient days on the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday, profitable seven medals with the kabaddi teams providing the biggest highlights by efficiently defending their respective gold medals.The males defeated Iran 40-34 in a hard-fought remaining, whereas the ladies additionally overcame Iran 37-34 to finish a memorable kabaddi gold double for India. The males’s triumph was their ninth Asian Games gold within the sport, whereas the ladies’s victory introduced their tally to 4.India’s seven-medal haul additionally included a historic silver for marathon runner Sawan Barwal, silver medals for Tajinderpal Singh Toor and the ladies’s 50m rifle 3 positions group, and bronze medals for Prachi Choudhary in the women’s 400m and Joshna Chinappa-Velavan Senthilkumar in squash.The day’s outcomes took India’s general medal tally to 30 — 4 gold, 12 silver and 14 bronze.Asian Games Full Coverage | Medal Tally | Schedule
Barwal delivers historic marathon silver
The day started with certainly one of India’s largest surprises when Sawan Barwal produced a shocking run to win silver within the males’s marathon and break his personal nationwide document.The 28-year-old Armyman from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, accomplished the 42.195km race in 2 hours, 11 minutes and 37 seconds to complete behind Japan’s Ichitaka Yamashita, who gained gold in 2:10:49. China’s Peiyou Feng took bronze in 2:12:13.Barwal’s silver was India’s first Asian Games marathon medal since Hosur Kukkappa Seetharan’s bronze within the 1982 version in New Delhi. He additionally grew to become solely the fourth Indian marathon runner to win an Asian Games medal.Chhota Singh had gained gold and Surat Singh Mathur bronze on the inaugural Asian Games in 1951, whereas Seetharan’s bronze got here three many years later.ALSO READ: How two kabaddi golds helped India break back into top 10
Kabaddi groups keep their grip on gold
India’s kabaddi marketing campaign as soon as once more ended with each groups on prime of the rostrum, though neither remaining was easy.The girls held their nerve to beat Iran 37-34, whereas the boys recovered from a carefully fought first half to defeat the identical opponents 40-34.The males’s gold was India’s ninth within the sport on the Asian Games, underlining their long-standing dominance, whereas the ladies’s group retained the title they’d gained at Hangzhou.The two victories accounted for India’s solely gold medals of the day and offered a serious enhance to the nation’s medal rely.
Shooting and athletics add three extra medals
At the capturing vary, Tilottama Sen, Vidarsa Vinod and Ashi Chouksey gained silver within the girls’s 50m rifle 3 positions group occasion.The Indian trio aggregated 1763 factors to complete behind China, who set a Games Record of 1773 for gold. Kazakhstan took bronze with 1754.Tilottama and Vidarsa additionally reached the person remaining however narrowly missed the rostrum, ending fourth and fifth respectively.In athletics, Prachi Choudhary added a bronze within the girls’s 400m, clocking 53.21 seconds. Bahrain’s Salwa Naser gained gold in a Games Record 49.20 seconds, whereas Iran’s Zahra Zarei Manoujan took silver in 52.38 seconds.There was disappointment too, as two-time defending champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor needed to accept silver within the males’s shot put. His 20.64m throw was nicely beneath his private better of 21.77m.Iran’s Mohammadreza Tayebise gained gold with a Games Record 20.81m, breaking Toor’s earlier Games mark of 20.75m.
Anahat, Abhay maintain squash gold hopes alive
India’s squash marketing campaign obtained a serious enhance as Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh stormed into their respective singles finals.The 18-year-old Anahat produced one of many largest wins of her profession, coming from 0-2 right down to stun planet No. 6 Satomi Watanabe of Japan Sept. 11, 11-13, 12-10, 11-6, 11-3.Abhay adopted by sweeping Pakistan’s Muhammad Irfan 11-3, 12-10, 11-6 to succeed in the boys’s remaining.A gold for both participant would additionally carry the prospect of qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the place squash will make its debut.Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar had earlier secured India’s bronze in combined doubles after shedding 1-2 to Hong Kong’s Tang Ming Hong and Lee Ka Yi.
Hockey, archery present additional positives
The males’s hockey group reached the semifinals after beating Japan 2-0 in its penultimate pool match.India additionally made a robust begin to its archery marketing campaign. Dhiraj Bommadevara topped the boys’s recurve particular person qualification with 698 factors, setting a brand new Asian Games qualification document. Chikitha Taniparthi topped the ladies’s compound qualification with 705 factors.India additionally completed first in compound combined group qualification.
Mixed fortunes in badminton and desk tennis
Young shuttler Unnati Hooda produced certainly one of India’s standout performances in badminton, profitable two matches to succeed in the ladies’s singles quarterfinals.The 19-year-old first defeated Malaysia’s Ling Ching Wong 21-14, 20-22, 21-19 earlier than beautiful planet No. 6 Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia 21-19, 21-13. She will face Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi within the quarterfinals.Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand additionally superior after beating Japan’s planet No. 3 pair Mayu Matsumoto and Yuki Fukushima 24-22, 21-18.However, Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty have been knocked out.India’s desk tennis marketing campaign ended with out additional medals after Manush Shah and Yashaswini Ghorpade misplaced their respective singles pre-quarterfinals. India completed with one TT medal — the combined doubles bronze gained by Manush and Diya Chitale.The day additionally introduced restricted returns in esports, fencing and canoeing.
