AICHI-NAGOYA, September 28: India experienced a mixed day at the Asian Games 2026 on Monday as the men’s cricket team advanced to the semifinals without playing a ball, shooter Esha Singh won silver in the women’s 25m pistol, while defending champion Avinash Sable finished fourth in the men’s 3000m steeplechase.
The Indian contingent was involved across shooting, cricket, athletics, boxing, kurash and several other disciplines as the Games continued in Japan.
India Advance to Cricket Semifinals Without Playing
India’s men’s cricket quarter-final against Afghanistan was abandoned without a ball being bowled because of persistent rain.
The match was scheduled at the Aichi Prefectural Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, but wet conditions prevented play from beginning.
India progressed to the semifinals under the tournament’s knockout regulations.
Defending Champions Continue Gold-Medal Defence
India entered the tournament as defending men’s cricket champions after winning gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
The team is being led by Shreyas Iyer in Aichi-Nagoya.
India will face the winner of the quarter-final between Sri Lanka and Nepal in the semifinals as they continue their attempt to retain the title.
Esha Singh Wins Silver in 25m Pistol
Indian shooter Esha Singh delivered one of the major performances of the day by winning silver in the women’s 25m pistol individual competition.
The 21-year-old finished the regulation portion of the final with 38 hits, level with China’s Xiao Jiaruixuan.
The contest went into multiple shoot-offs before Esha eventually settled for silver.
Dramatic Shoot-Off Decides Gold Medal
Esha remained under pressure throughout the elimination stages and survived several shoot-offs to stay in medal contention.
She eventually reached the battle for gold before losing the deciding shoot-off by a narrow margin.
The result added another major international medal to the young shooter’s career.
Manu Bhaker Misses Individual Final
Two-time Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker was unable to qualify for the women’s 25m pistol individual final.
She recorded a score of 579 in qualification and finished 11th, outside the top eight positions required to advance.
Esha Singh qualified eighth with a score of 580 and went on to win the silver medal.
Manu Ends Asian Games Without a Medal
The result meant Manu Bhaker completed her Asian Games 2026 campaign without a medal despite participating in multiple shooting events.
The Indian shooter had entered the Games as one of the country’s prominent medal prospects following her performances at major international competitions.
India also missed the podium in the women’s 25m pistol team event.
India Finish Fifth in 25m Pistol Team Event
The Indian trio of Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker and Rahi Sarnobat finished fifth in the women’s 25m pistol team competition.
India registered a combined score of 1727-56x.
China won gold, while South Korea and Chinese Taipei secured silver and bronze respectively.
Avinash Sable Misses Steeplechase Medal
Defending Asian Games champion Avinash Sable finished fourth in the men’s 3000m steeplechase final.
Sable clocked a season-best 8 minutes 21.67 seconds, but the performance was not enough to secure a place on the podium.
The result was a disappointment for India as Sable had entered the event as the defending champion and one of the country’s leading athletics medal prospects.
Japan Takes Top Two Positions
Japan’s Ryuji Miura won the steeplechase gold medal with a new Asian Games record of 8:17.36.
His compatriot Ryoma Aoki finished second with a personal-best performance.
Sable stayed in contention during the race but was unable to match the pace of the leading runners in the closing stages.
Pincky Balhara Wins Kurash Bronze
India also secured a medal in kurash through Pincky Balhara in the women’s under-78kg category.
Balhara advanced through the earlier rounds before eventually taking the bronze medal.
Her performance added another medal from a combat sport to India’s Asian Games campaign.
Lovlina Borgohain Assures Boxing Medal
Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain also secured at least a bronze medal by advancing to the semifinals of the women’s 75kg boxing competition.
She defeated South Korea’s Seong Suyeon 5-0 in the quarter-final.
Her semifinal qualification guarantees India another boxing medal irrespective of the result of her next bout.
India Compete Across Multiple Sports
Indian athletes were also involved in archery, volleyball, squash, tennis, surfing, sepak takraw and other events during a packed day of competition.
Several athletics medal events were scheduled during the evening session, keeping India in contention for additional podium finishes.
The results from September 28 underline a mixed day for the contingent, with success in shooting, kurash and boxing alongside disappointment in steeplechase and some shooting events.
Focus Turns to Cricket Semifinal and Remaining Medal Events
India’s men’s cricket team will now turn its attention to the semifinal after advancing without taking the field against Afghanistan.
For the wider contingent, several key medal events remain as India looks to improve its overall performance during the second half of the Asian Games.
With athletics, boxing, shooting and team competitions continuing, more Indian athletes remain in contention for medals in the coming days.
Source – Olympics.com / Akashvani News / Times of India / Indian Express
Supreme News Network
