503-Member Indian Contingent Receives Grand Send-Off for Asian Games 2026

Key facts

• India's 503-member contingent for the Asian Games 2026 received a grand send-off in New Delhi in the presence of Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
• Mandaviya, along with Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha, sports secretary Hari Ranjan Rao and Chef de Mission Sahdev Yadav, unveiled the official contingent jersey.
• More than 300 athletes in the contingent are first-timers, reflecting the emergence of new talent in Indian sport.
• The Indian contingent will compete across multiple sporting disciplines in Japan.
• Mandaviya highlighted that India won 13 gold medals at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, improving its tally by more than 35 per cent.
• The government aims to establish India firmly on the global sporting stage by 2036, with more than Rs 36,000 crore allocated over a 10-year plan to improve sports infrastructure.
• Athlete selection for the Asian Games was conducted through transparent, merit-based open trials with independent observers and camera monitoring.