Top five oldest Indian athletes participating at Asian Games 2026
Shruti Vora is India’s oldest athlete at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
For every athlete on this list, the saying “age is no barrier” proves true. Even at the fag end of their careers, they continue to bring glory to their motherland, and most are strong contenders to reach the podium in their respective disciplines at the Asian Games 2026.
Experience in global competitions is invaluable, especially in multi-sport events like the Asian Games, where both the stakes and the pressure are extremely high.
On that note, let’s have a look at the top five oldest Indian athletes participating in the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
Oldest Indian athletes participating in Aichi-Nagoya
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5. Gaurav Pundir (39 years, 10 months, 4 days)
Gaurav Pundir is a two-time National Champion in equestrian. His path to the major Games has been anything but smooth.
In 2023, he approached the Delhi High Court after alleging the Equestrian Federation of India was blocking his shot at Asian Games qualification, and the court ultimately ruled in his favour.
Pundir built his reputation through consistent performances in domestic Grand Prix and CDI events aboard horses like Escobar and Elector, and was part of India’s dressage team at the Asian Continental Championships in Pattaya 2025, where he helped India win a silver medal.
4. Joshna Chinappa (40 years, 0 months, 3 days)
Joshna Chinappa is arguably the most decorated Indian squash player of her generation, and enters Aichi-Nagoya as the first Indian athlete to compete at seven consecutive Asian Games. She has collected five Asian Games medals, including two silver and three bronze.
3. Seema Kaliramna (43 years, 1 month, 22 days)
Seema Kaliramna stepped away from the sport after the birth of her son in 2022, and what followed was a serious bout of post-pregnancy arthritis that left her unable to walk.
She fought her way back, winning a gold medal at the 2025 National Games, followed by a bronze in the women’s discus throw at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow with a best effort of 58.65m.
The medal won in Glasgow marked her return to the top level of Indian athletics, and she now carries that momentum into the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
2. Mairaj Ahmad Khan (50 years, 10 months, 16 days)
Mairaj Ahmad Khan’s career in shotgun skeet shooting spans more than three decades. In 2016, Khan made history as the first Indian skeet shooter to qualify for the Olympics.
His career highlight came in 2022 in Changwon, where he became the first Indian male shooter to win an ISSF World Cup gold in the discipline.
Khan missed the Asian Games in Jakarta 2018 and Hangzhou 2022 by narrow margins in the selection process. Hence, his return to the continental stage in Aichi-Nagoya marks his fourth Asian Games appearance overall.
1. Shruti Vora (55 years, 8 months, 12 days)
Shruti Vora had stepped away from the sport for over a decade to raise her children before returning to competition in 2010.
Since then, she has represented India at the Asian Games in Guangzhou 2010 and Incheon 2014, and at the FEI World Championships in Herning in 2022, where she and Anush Agarwalla became the first Indians to compete in an individual dressage event at that level.
Her career peak came in December 2025 at the Asian Continental Championships in Pattaya, where she won three silver medals.
She also holds the record of being the first Indian rider to win a three-star Grand Prix event. Heading into Aichi-Nagoya, she is the oldest member of India’s entire contingent.
Who is the oldest Indian athlete participating at the Asian Games 2026?
At 55 years, 8 months, and 12 days, Shruti Vora is India’s oldest athlete at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
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