On the third day of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, India found its highest moment and its humbling ones within the same breath — the women's cricket team's commanding gold medal victory over Sri Lanka offered the country its first anthem on the podium, even as shooters, swimmers, and badminton players navigated the uneven terrain of elite competition. Such is the nature of a multi-sport Games: triumph and shortfall do not take turns, but arrive together, reminding a nation that greatness is never uniformly distributed. India's day was neither failure nor triumph entire — it was the complicated,
Manu Bhaker misses medal in 10m air pistol; India's mixed day at Asian Games
India had arrived at the podium's highest step
Mark
So India finally got its first gold at these Games. What does that moment actually mean for the country's campaign?
Mimi
It breaks a seal. The women's cricket team didn't just win—they dominated Sri Lanka by 147 runs. That's the kind of statement that echoes through the rest of the Games. It says India can perform at the highest level here.
Luke
But it's worth noting that's one gold. The reporting shows India went medal-less on the third day of shooting competition. Elavenil and Parth finished fourth in the rifle mixed team. That's a sport where India usually medals.
Mark
Why did they falter?
Mimi
The reporting says they wilted under pressure in the finals. That's the phrase used. It's a real thing—the mental weight of a final round can undo months of preparation.
Luke
True, but we don't know the specifics of what went wrong technically or tactically. We know the outcome, not the mechanics.
Mark
What about Manu Bhaker? She's an Olympic medallist.
Mimi
She qualified for the 10m air pistol final by finishing third in qualifying. So she's still in the hunt. But there's history here—she missed an individual medal at Hangzhou 2023. That's a gap she's trying to close.
Luke
And we don't yet know how she performed in the final. The reporting says the final was scheduled for 9 a.m., but the article doesn't tell us the result.
Mark
So the story is still being written.
Mimi
Exactly. India has its first gold, but the shooting events are still unfolding. The badminton men secured a medal and face China in the semis. There are multiple threads still in play.
Luke
And the women's badminton team is out—lost 1-3 to Japan. That's a concrete loss that doesn't get as much attention as the cricket gold, but it matters for India's overall medal count.
Le Pouls
- India's women's cricket team shattered the silence of a gold-less campaign with a 147-run demolition of Sri Lanka, sending the national anthem echoing through Nisshin for the first time at these Games.
- The shooting range offered no such relief — Elavenil Valarivan and teenage prodigy Parth Mane crumbled under final-round pressure, leaving India's most historically reliable medal discipline still searching for gold.
- Manu Bhaker, carrying the weight of a missed Asian Games medal in 2023 and the glow of Paris 2024 Olympic glory, qualified for the air pistol final — her next morning a chance at redemption or another near-miss.
- Men's badminton advanced past Japan 3-0 and now face China in the semifinals, while the women's team was eliminated by the same opponent, splitting the discipline's fortunes cleanly in two.
- Beneath the headline results, India's medal horizon remained open — Roshibina Devi assured of a wushu podium finish, skeet shooters claiming bronze, and hockey, kabaddi, and boxing campaigns still unfolding.
On the third day of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, India found its highest moment and its humbling ones within the same breath — the women's cricket team's commanding gold medal victory over Sri Lanka offered the country its first anthem on the podium, even as shooters, swimmers, and badminton players navigated the uneven terrain of elite competition. Such is the nature of a multi-sport Games: triumph and shortfall do not take turns, but arrive together, reminding a nation that greatness is never uniformly distributed. India's day was neither failure nor triumph entire — it was the complicated, living portrait of a sporting nation still writing its story.
India's women's cricket team delivered the country's first gold medal of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Tuesday, September 22, defeating Sri Lanka by 147 runs in a commanding final at Korogi Athletics Park in Nisshin. A blazing opening partnership, a dominant middle order, and disciplined bowling combined to make the result emphatic. When the national anthem played over the podium, it marked a genuine threshold — India had finally reached the top step.
The same day scattered fortunes across other disciplines. The men's badminton team routed Japan 3-0 to secure at least a bronze and set up a semifinal against China, while the women's team lost 1-3 to the same opponent and exited the tournament. In shooting, Elavenil Valarivan and 18-year-old Parth Mane finished fourth in the 10m air rifle mixed team event, both faltering in the final round. India's shooting gold drought at these Games continued — a quiet ache in a discipline the country has long relied upon.
Manu Bhaker, double Olympic medallist from Paris 2024, qualified third for the 10m air pistol final, with competition scheduled for the following morning. She had missed an individual medal at Hangzhou 2023, and that absence lent her campaign here an added edge. Mirabai Chanu, the Tokyo 2020 weightlifting silver medallist, was also competing, having narrowly missed a Hangzhou medal after injury derailed her final attempt.
Elsewhere, India's men's sepak takraw team were eliminated despite beating the Philippines, their third-place group finish leaving them short of the semifinals. Swimmers Rohit Benedicton and Sajan Prakash did not advance from the 100m butterfly heats. On a brighter note, Razia Dhillon, Maheshwari Chauhan, and Parinaaz Dhaliwal claimed bronze in the women's skeet team event.
Looking ahead, wushu fighter Roshibina Devi was assured of at least a bronze after reaching the 60kg sanda semifinals — her third individual Asian Games medal in three appearances. Hockey, kabaddi, boxing, and squash campaigns continued, keeping India's medal tally fluid. The Games were still young, anchored now by one gold, but with much still to be decided.
India's women's cricket team planted the country's flag atop the medal stand at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games for the first time on Tuesday, September 22, defeating Sri Lanka by 147 runs in a commanding final at Korogi Athletics Park in Nisshin. The victory came with a blistering opening partnership, a powerful middle-order innings, and disciplined bowling that choked Sri Lanka's chase. When the national anthem played for the first time at these Games, it marked a threshold moment—India had arrived at the podium's highest step.
Yet the same day that brought that gold also scattered India's fortunes across other arenas. The men's badminton team secured a medal by routing Japan 3-0 in the quarterfinals at Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium, but the women's team fell 1-3 to the same opponent and exited the competition. The men now face a semifinal against China with a place in the gold medal match within reach.
In shooting, India's medal drought persisted. Elavenil Valarivan and Parth Mane, an 18-year-old representing the next generation of Indian shooters, finished fourth in the 10m air rifle mixed team event on the third day of competition at the Aichi General Shooting Range. Both athletes wilted under the pressure of the final round. The country remained without a shooting gold medal at these Games, a gap that weighed on a discipline long considered a reliable source of Indian medals.
Manu Bhaker, the double Olympic medallist from Paris 2024, qualified for the 10m air pistol final by finishing third in qualifying rounds. The competition was set for the following morning at 9 a.m., offering Bhaker another chance to break through. She had missed an individual medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, and the weight of that absence hung over her campaign here. Mirabai Chanu, the Tokyo 2020 silver medallist in weightlifting, was also competing in the women's 49kg category. Chanu had narrowly missed a medal at Hangzhou 2023, finishing fourth after an injury prevented her from completing her final clean and jerk attempt.
Sepak takraw delivered disappointment for India's men. The team finished third in their group in the team regu event, which left them outside the semifinals despite a 2-1 victory over the Philippines. The win—15-7, 15-10 in straight games—was not enough to advance, a result that underscored how tightly the qualification margins ran.
On the swimming side, Rohit Benedicton and Sajan Prakash did not advance from the men's 100m butterfly heats. Benedicton clocked 53.08 seconds to finish 13th overall, while Prakash did not start the race. The shooting discipline offered some brightness: Razia Dhillon, Maheshwari Chauhan, and Parinaaz Dhaliwal won bronze in the women's skeet team event, completing their three-day qualification rounds. Anantjeet Singh Naruka, another shooter, had recovered strongly on the second day after a difficult opening round and remained in contention.
Other Indian athletes were positioned for medal opportunities in the days ahead. Roshibina Devi, competing in wushu, was assured of winning her third individual Asian Games medal in three appearances after advancing to the women's 60kg sanda semifinals. Anahat Singh in squash received a bye and would begin her singles campaign on Thursday. The hockey and kabaddi teams continued their group-stage matches, while boxer Ankush competed in the men's 80kg category. The Games were still young, and India's medal tally remained fluid—anchored now by that first gold, but with many events still to play.
Citations marquantes
The men's badminton team secured a medal by routing Japan 3-0 in the quarterfinals— reporting from the Games
Elavenil and Parth wilted under the pressure of the final round in the 10m air rifle mixed team event— reporting from the Games
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