Asmita Dey, Gyaneshwari Yadav and Payas Jain target medals at 2026 Asian Games

Judoka Asmita Dey, weightlifter Gyaneshwari Yadav and table tennis player Payas Jain have expressed their ambitions to achieve podium finishes at the 2026 Asian Games.

Both Dey and Yadav earned medals at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last month. Dey secured the women’s 48kg gold medal by defeating Canada’s Heidi Quach in a final decided by Golden Score, marking India’s first judo gold of the Commonwealth Games. Yadav won the silver medal in the women’s 53kg weightlifting category.

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The Asian Games will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. Speaking ahead of the competition, Dey acknowledged the pressure to replicate her Commonwealth success. She said, “I am very excited; I am going for the Asian Games just one month after the Commonwealth Games. But just being excited won’t help, I have to win a medal too, so for that I am working very hard, I am training too and in the next two or three days they will send us to Japan for training, so I hope I will do well in my training there and definitely bring a medal to my country.” She added, “There is pressure too after I won a medal in the Commonwealth Games now. So, if I stop after this, then it won’t work. So, that’s why I have to win a medal in the Asian Games too. So, for that I will have to work harder.”

Yadav, who is competing in her first Asian Games, also spoke of both excitement and nerves while highlighting her focus on a podium finish and personal improvement. She stated, “I am very excited because this is my first Asian Games and even before this, the CWG was also my first. After winning a medal there, I didn’t get much time for preparation, but we’re working hard with whatever time we have and for that I am both excited and a bit nervous.” She continued, “On one hand, there is pressure somewhere because we are playing for India, so we have to perform well and also give a podium finish. But somewhere we, first as a sportsperson, have this thing to achieve our personal best, like in weightlifting even improving by 1kg is a big thing and if we take that medal with improvement, then it is a big achievement for us.”

Payas Jain, also making his Asian Games debut, expressed confidence in the team’s preparation and medal prospects. He said, “I am very excited, because this is my first Asian Games and talking about challenges, challenges will come and it’s a big tournament and I think we’re all prepared for it and we have been preparing for a long time as to how to bring a medal in the Asian Games. And of course, really looking forward to it; let’s see how it goes. I hope, and I know that this time we can do our best; I think we have the best chance this time.”

On Tuesday, the Indian Olympic Association held a special send-off ceremony for India’s contingent to the 2026 Asian Games. The event was attended by Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya, Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha, athletes, coaches, support staff, dignitaries and partners as Team India prepared to compete at the continental sporting event in Aichi-Nagoya.