The Asian Games, which rotates between cities in Asia and showcases regional culture, promotes athletic excellence and fosters unity among athletes from diverse nations. It is also a key step for athletes on their way to the Olympic Games.
The 2026 edition will feature 41 sports, including esports, in the city of Nagoya in September and October. India will compete in four esports events, including League of Legends and DOTA 2 where it has had success before, and FIFA 19, which was recently re-released with Indian content. The inclusion of esports could boost India’s medal prospects.
Indian athletes are expected to perform better than they did at the pandemic-delayed 2023 Games in Hangzhou, where they came sixth overall, with 106 medals. The Sports Ministry has toughened the selection criteria for the Games, requiring that only athletes with “real chance” of winning medals will be nominated by national federations. In team sports, a minimum of a top-two finish is required to qualify for the Games, while in individual events, only those who rank in the top six will be considered.
Organizers are working to ensure that the 2026 Asian Games, officially known as the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games (