Asian Games 2026: Mansukh Mandaviya leads India's delegation in Japan
Synopsis
Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has arrived in Tokyo to lead the Indian delegation for the 20th Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. India aims to build on its Hangzhou 2023 record, with the women's cricket team set to face hosts Japan in a quarter-final.
Indian Ambassador to Japan Nagma Mallick welcomed Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Mansukh Mandaviya in Tokyo on Friday morning. He is visiting Japan to lead India’s delegation to the 20th Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
India will look to build on their record-breaking medal haul at Hangzhou 2023 when the 20th Asian Games get underway in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday (September 19), with a strong contingent featuring Olympic medallists and reigning champions across several disciplines.
"Ambassador Mallick was pleased to welcome Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya @mansukhmandviya in Tokyo this morning. Minister Mandaviya is visiting Japan, leading the Indian delegation for the 20th Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. His visit will also be a boost to India-Japan cooperation in youth affairs, sports, and people-to-people ties," the Embassy of India in Japan wrote in an X post.
India's campaign at Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games
India will be in action across cricket, soft tennis and teqball on a busy Friday at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026. The day will begin with the Indian men’s soft tennis team taking on Laos in Group C, before facing Chinese Taipei and Mongolia.
Women's Cricket: India vs Japan
Indian athletes will also compete in women’s singles and mixed doubles in teqball, with events scheduled across the morning and afternoon. The main focus will be on the Indian women’s cricket quarter-final against hosts Japan.
India head into the Asian Games on the back of a record-extending eighth Asia Cup title, having defeated Sri Lanka in the final last week, while Japan will be appearing in the Asian Games cricket competition for the third time. Ranked third in the T20I standings, India are the highest-ranked side in the eight-team women’s competition and will enter the tournament as one of the leading contenders for the title. The match against Japan will also mark the first-ever meeting between the two sides.
Meanwhile, Japan face a tough challenge against a strong Indian side. Ranked 39th in the women’s T20I team rankings, Japan will be making their third appearance in cricket at the Asian Games. (ANI)
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