The Asian Games 2026 will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. India will send athletes across multiple sports as it looks to build on its record medal haul of 107 at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, which included 28 gold, 38 silver and 41 bronze medals.
“Our team is good. Every time, we expect medals from wrestling. We are well prepared, and we expect to do better than last time,” Dahiya said on September 9.
Dahiya acknowledged the challenge posed by leading Asian wrestling nations, including Japan, South Korea and China, while stressing that India remains among the continent’s top teams.
“The Asian Games are tough. We have to face teams like Japan, Korea and China. They are among the top teams in Asia, and India is also among the top four or five. If we have problems against them, they also have problems against us,” he added.
On the women’s wrestling team, Dahiya highlighted the combination of youth and experience, saying the squad is in a stronger position than at the previous Asian Games.
“Last time, we won three bronze medals, but there was a crisis in women’s wrestling. Now, thankfully, everything is fine. We have a good team with a balance of young and experienced wrestlers,” he said.
India won three bronze medals in wrestling at the last Asian Games but did not secure any gold or silver medals.
Dahiya said he was fully confident that the team would improve substantially this time, citing the preparation of the wrestlers and the support provided by the Wrestling Federation of India and the Sports Ministry.
“Last time, we did not win any gold or silver medals. We only won three bronze medals. I am 100 per cent confident that, looking at our preparation, the hard work of the wrestlers, and the support from the WFI and the Sports Ministry, we will perform 100 per cent better than last time,” he said.
The Indian wrestling squad for Asian Games 2026 includes Dipanshi in women’s 50kg, Antim Panghal in women’s 53kg, Manisha Bhanwala in women’s 57kg, Mansi Ahlawat in women’s 62kg, Nisha Dahiya in women’s 68kg and Priya Malik in women’s 76kg.
The men’s freestyle squad comprises Aman Sehrawat in 57kg, Sujeet Kalkal in 65kg, Sagar Jaglan in 74kg, Deepak Punia in 97kg and Rajat Ruhal in 125kg.
The Greco-Roman squad includes Sumit Dalal in 60kg, Deepak in 67kg, Aman in 77kg, Sunil Kumar in 87kg and Nitesh Kumar in 97kg.
With India entering the Asian Games 2026 after its three-bronze-medal wrestling campaign in Hangzhou, Dahiya’s confidence rests on the team’s preparation, the wrestlers’ hard work and the support from the WFI and the Sports Ministry.
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