India achieved significant sporting success at the 20th Asian Games held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan from September 19 to October 4, 2026, winning a total of 85 medals including 21 gold, 27 silver, and 37 bronze medals. The Indian contingent of 501 athletes competed across 36 sporting disciplines, with more than 300 athletes making their Asian Games debut. Archery led India's gold medal tally with 5 titles, followed by Shooting and Boxing with 3 gold medals each. Team sports delivered exceptional performances with India winning 2 gold medals each in Cricket, Hockey, and Kabaddi, including a men's cricket final victory over Pakistan by 19 runs and a men's hockey final win over Malaysia 5-1.
The government's substantial financial support for sports development is evidenced by the Union Budget 2026-27 allocation of ₹4,479.88 crore to the sports ministry, a significant increase from ₹1,219 crore in 2013-14. The Cabinet approved a revamped Khelo India scheme with a combined outlay of ₹36,441 crore for 2026-27 to 2030-31, with ₹924.35 crore allocated specifically for Khelo India in 2026-27. The sports infrastructure development includes 1,067 Khelo India Centres and 349 new sports infrastructure projects worth ₹3,176 crore approved by July 2026.
The Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) currently supports 55 Core Athletes, 62 Para Core Athletes, and 140 Development Athletes, plus 67 core athletes in hockey, providing monthly stipends of ₹50,000 for senior athletes and ₹25,000 for junior athletes. India's participation in the upcoming Asian Para Games from October 18-24, 2026, follows its record 111-medal haul including 29 gold medals at the 2022 Asian Para Games.