There are several debutants among the 501 athletes in the Indian contingent that has travelled to Japan for the Asian Games 2026. From 55-year-old Sruthi Vora to 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 267 men and 237 women across 36 disciplines will hope to seize glory for India in the 20th edition of the continental event.
There are several first-timers that sports fanatics should take note of as the Asian Games get under way in Aichi-Nagoya. The performance of these athletes at the Asian Games will potentially pave the way for their international careers ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. India finished fourth in the medal table with 107 medals in the previous edition of the Asiad after China, Japan, and South Korea in Hangzhou, China.
Rohit Yadav will debut in the javelin throw event in the absence of Neeraj Chopra. The 25-year-old has recorded two throws beyond 87 metres. His personal best of 87.68 metres came at the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver Meet in Bhubaneswar this August, in which he won the gold medal.
Shuttler Ayush Shetty, at 21, defeated World No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yu Qi for the first time in four career meetings at the 2026 BWF World Championships in New Delhi. He had secured a historic bronze medal for the Indian men’s team at the Thomas Cup and a silver at the Asian Championships. This makes him one of the Indian players to watch.
23-year-old Sujeet Kalkal, a freestyle wrestler, is another notable debutant. Kalkal won the 65 kg gold medal at the Asian Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, earlier this year. He also secured gold in the Under-23 category last year and bronze in the Under-20 category in 2022. For Kalkal, the Asian Games will serve as another major international platform to showcase his talent.
Another debutant, Sakshi Chaudhary, won the gold medal in the women’s 51 kg category at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The 26-year-old was a gold medallist in the 54 kg category at the World Boxing Cup and secured a bronze medal at the 2021 Asian Boxing Championships in the same category.
As a 20-year-old, pistol shooter Suruchi Phogat has already made a name for herself on the international platform. The 10m air pistol shooter has secured five International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup gold medals, a gold at the ISSF World Cup Final, and a team silver at the World Championships. One of her notable victories includes defeating Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker to win the gold medal at the ISSF World Cup in Lima, Peru.
Quincy Joaquim D'Souza, 24, is also debuting at the Asian Games in teqball, which is a dynamic mix of football and table tennis. She topped Group A and moved directly into the women’s singles semi-finals. The limelight following her victory has also helped throw some light on the sport. Although she lost a closely contested match against Indonesia’s Summaya today, she still has high hopes of securing the bronze medal.
Teenage prodigy, 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, was named in the final squad and will play for India at the Asian Games for the first time, though he could face competition for a spot in the starting line-up from senior players.
