IOA names Sahdev Yadav & Sharath Kamal to lead Indian contingent at Asian Games 2026

India crossed 100 medals at the Asian Games for the first time ever in 2023.

India has officially begun its preparations for the Asian Games 2026, which will take place from September 19 next year in Aichi–Nagoya, Japan. As the countdown starts, the Indian Olympic Association has announced two major appointments for the country’s delegation.

The IOA Treasurer and President of the Indian Weightlifting Federation Sahdev Yadav will lead the Indian contingent as the Chef de Mission. The IOA president PT Usha will serve as co-chair.

He will be responsible for managing India’s overall participation, coordinating with organizers, and ensuring athletes have a smooth and well-supported experience during the Games.

Joining him is Indian table tennis legend Achanta Sharath Kamal, who has been appointed as the Deputy Chef de Mission. Sharath is expected to play an important role in guiding and supporting the athletes.

Several other notable sportspersons and administrators have also joined the leadership and planning group for India’s campaign at the upcoming Asian Games.

The London Olympics bronze medallist and Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) member Gagan Narang, has been included once again after serving as India’s Chef de Mission at the Paris Olympics last year. Also the former India hockey star Viren Rasquinha has joined as a Mission Olympic Cell member.

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The Indian delegation will also include a number of senior sports administrators featuring Joint Secretary (Sports) Kunal, IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer, IOA executive committee members Sahdev Yadav, Bhupender Singh Bajwa, Gagan Narang, Sharath Kamal, MOC member Viren Rasquinha among others.

The 2026 Asian Games is set to be a large-scale event, featuring 42 sports and nearly 15,000 athletes from 45 nations. This will also be Japan’s third time hosting the Asian Games after Tokyo (1958) and Hiroshima (1994).

At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, India achieved its best-ever performance, crossing the 100-medal mark for the first time. India finished with 107 medals and secured 4th place, jumping up from 8th position in Jakarta 2018.

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