Live: Archers in action, Manu Bhaker looks to impress in 25m air pistol
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Asian Games 2026 for all Indian athletes competing on Monday, September 28.
The news coming from the Korogi Sports park isn't good at the moment. The Pakistan vs Hong Kong, China match has been abandoned without the toss even taking place due to heavy rain.
The rain had continued relentlessly since morning, leaving the outfield saturated after the overnight showers. With conditions showing no signs of improving, the officials had concluded that there was no realistic chance of getting the match underway.
Even a shortened five-over contest had been ruled out, with the outfield simply too sodden to allow any play. The rain has continued to fall steadily, meaning that the India vs Afghanistan match is also under serious threat of being a wash out. We will keep you updated with all the latest news from the cricket front.
Manu Bhaker gets another chance to make her mark at the Asian Games when she takes aim in the women's 25m pistol event. The defending Asian Games champion will be joined by Esha Singh and Rahi Sarnobat in the rapid qualification round, which begins at 6:10 AM IST. If they make it through, the individual final is scheduled for 10:45 AM.
For Bhaker, this is an opportunity to put the disappointment of the 10m air pistol behind her. She entered that final after qualifying third but could not convert it into a medal, eventually finishing fifth. India's women's team also narrowly missed the podium, ending fourth after being level on points with Vietnam.
The 25m pistol campaign has not started perfectly either. Bhaker struggled during the precision stage, ending the round in 16th place with 287 points. That leaves India third in the team standings heading into the rapid stage.
The rapid round will therefore be crucial for India's medal hopes, with Bhaker needing a strong showing to help the team stay in contention while also keeping her own bid for another Asian Games title alive.
So, the action began early in the morning for India and it was the archery contingent that led the way with some spectacular performances. Sahil Rajesh Jadhav defeated Jamiyangombo Purevdorj of Mongolia in the men's compound 1/16 elimination round by a margin of 149-137, just one shy of levelling the Asian Games record.
Thirumuru Ganesh Maniratnam defeated Sostar Andaru Rinaldi of Indonesia in the same round in an intense battle with a scoreline of 144-142 to progress in the competition.
It is now an all Indian tie in the 1/8 eliminations with both men squaring off against each other.
India begin September 28 sitting 12th on the Asian Games medal table, with their tally standing at 37 medals. The haul includes four gold medals, 16 silver and 17 bronze. It was another productive day for the Indian contingent on September 27, with seven medals added across athletics and squash, although the absence of a gold saw India drop two places from 10th to 12th.
Athletics once again provided the bulk of India's medals. Ancy Sojan and Sarvesh Kushare secured silver, while Parul Chaudhary, Tejaswin Shankar and Harita Bhadra picked up bronze. Squash also delivered two silver medals through Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh.
There was more good news in boxing, with Ankush Panghal, Parveen Hooda and Narender Berwal booking their places in the semifinals. All three are now assured of at least a bronze medal, with a place in the final up for grabs.
Elsewhere, Manu Bhaker will be back in action as India look to revive their fortunes in shooting. Bhaker's campaign has so far fallen short of expectations, with the Olympic medallist finishing fifth in the 10m air pistol final. India's women's team also failed to make the podium, adding to a disappointing run across some of the contingent's high profile pistol and rifle events.
The men's cricket team, meanwhile, face a much sterner examination. India scraped past Japan in a rain shortened five over warm up, managing just 32/4 before restricting their opponents to 30/3 for a two run victory. The result offered some valuable match practice, but the stakes rise considerably now as India turn their attention to the quarter final against Afghanistan.
With medals on the line across multiple disciplines and the knockout stage of the cricket competition beginning, September 28 promises another busy day for the Indian contingent.
