Aichi-Nagoya, Sep 24: India enjoyed a five-medal haul on the fifth day of the Asian Games 2026, with Seema Kumari ending a 16-year wait for a women’s 10,000m medal while the country also secured historic podium finishes in rowing and shooting.
India won two silver and three bronze medals across athletics, wushu, shooting and rowing on a day that also saw its men’s and women’s kabaddi teams advance to the semi-finals.
Seema clocked 32:50.05 to win bronze in the women’s 10,000m, giving India its first Asian Games medal in the event in 16 years. Bahrain’s Olympic champion Winfred Yavi won gold in 32:39.18, while Japan’s Nozomi Tanaka took silver in 32:41.54.
India’s mixed 4x400m relay quartet of Manu TS, Poovamma MR, Vishal TK and Vithya Ramaraj also claimed silver in 3:14.46. Bahrain won gold in an Asian Games record 3:12.87, with South Korea taking bronze.
Vithya produced a strong finish on the anchor leg after Vishal had kept India in contention.
In wushu, Roshibina Devi won silver in the women’s 60kg sanda event to become a three-time Asian Games medallist.
Rowers Satnam Singh and Salman Khan created history by winning bronze in the men’s double sculls, earning India its first-ever Asian Games medal in the event.
Another first came in shooting, where Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Parinaaz Dhaliwal won bronze in the mixed team skeet event, securing India’s maiden Asian Games medal in the discipline.
On the athletics track, Animesh Kujur and Gurindervir Singh advanced to the men’s 100m semi-finals after finishing third and second respectively in their heats.
Asha Ilango narrowly missed a medal in the women’s triple jump, finishing fourth with a best effort of 13.83m.
India also made progress in kabaddi, with both teams topping their respective groups. The women defeated Japan 50-25, while the men beat Chinese Taipei 37-21 to reach the semi-finals.
In hockey, the Indian men registered a commanding 8-2 win over South Korea in their Pool A match.
Squash also produced encouraging results, with Veer Chotrani, Abhay Singh, Tanvi Khanna and Anahat Singh reaching the singles quarter-finals. Tanvi and Anahat will meet in an all-Indian quarter-final, ensuring India’s presence in the women’s singles semi-finals.
In boxing, Parveen Hooda advanced to the women’s 65kg quarter-finals via a walkover, while Sakshi Chaudhary bowed out of the women’s 51kg event after a narrow 3-2 defeat. Sumit Kundu retired from his men’s 70kg bout after suffering a knee injury.
Fencers Bhavani Devi and Shreya Gupta exited the women’s sabre event in the Round of 16, while gymnast Pranati Nayak finished sixth in the women’s vault final with a score of 13.100.
In other events, Manush Shah progressed to the men’s table tennis singles Round of 32, while Indian women’s doubles pairs also advanced. India finished fifth in the men’s quadruple sculls and sixth in the women’s four rowing final.
Indian shooters missed the men’s 10m air pistol final, with Kamaljeet finishing ninth, just outside the eight-shooter qualification mark. In swimming, India failed to reach the men’s 4x100m freestyle final, while Aryan Nehra finished third in Final B of the 800m freestyle.
In esports, Paritosh advanced to the next round of Puyo Puyo Champions after finishing third in Group B.
India’s women’s cricket team returned home after winning the country’s only gold medal so far at the Games, according to the day’s update.
The Indian contingent will now turn its attention to the kabaddi semi-finals, men’s 100m semi-finals and Gulveer Singh’s 10,000m final on the following day.
