India's contingent at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 features two unexpected names: track cyclists David Beckham and Ronaldo. Their presence on the velodrome start lists has amused sports fans globally, sparking viral reactions and jokes about missing football stars.
As India continues to make its presence felt across various disciplines at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026, two familiar yet unexpected names have regularly caught sports fans off guard on the official start lists.
India sent a 503-member contingent to compete across 36 sports, showcasing the nation's immense sporting depth on the continental stage. The majority of them are prominent names, including Manu Bhaker, Lovlina Borgohain, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Nikhat Zareen, the Indian women’s and men’s cricket teams, Mirabai Chanu, Aman Sehrawat, and Jyothi Yarraji.
However, the Indian contingent has two unexpected names capturing plenty of headlines: David Beckham and Ronaldo. These two names are very prominent in the sporting world, but not for the reasons most sports fans expect.
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Who are David Beckham and Ronaldo?
David Beckham and Ronaldo are not football players, but rather two of India's most prominent track cyclists competing in high-speed velodrome events. Their full names are David Beckham Elkatohchoongo and Ronaldo Singh Laitonjam.
Since both Indian track cyclists start with football heritage, their presence on the velodrome start lists never fails to provide a delightful twist for sports enthusiasts. David Beckham Elkatohchoongo hails from Car Nicobar in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and he was named after a legendary footballer by his uncle following Beckham’s famous goal against Argentina at the 2002 World Cup.
The 23-year-old represented India at the 2022 and 2026 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and Glasgow, and finished sixth in the men's keirin final at the Asian Games 2026, overall finishing 12th. Back in 2020, in an interview with the Times of India (TOI), the Andaman and Nicobar cyclist wanted to become ‘Cyclist David Beckham’ just like the football icon.
Ronaldo Singh Laitonjam, on the other hand, is a trailblazing force in Indian track cycling. Hailing from Imphal, Manipur, he was named after the legendary Brazilian striker Ronaldo Nazario by a football-loving family.
The 24-year-old was shot to fame when he became the first Indian track cyclist to win a medal at the Asian Track Championships, winning a silver medal in 2022, and has since established himself as one of the country’s leading track cyclists. At the Asian Games 2026, Ronaldo finished sixth in the repechage round and failed to qualify for further rounds.
As David Beckham and Ronaldo are two names synonymous with global football, David Beckham Elkatohchoongo and Ronaldo Singh Laitonjam carved out an entirely different kind of sporting spotlight at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026.
‘Where Is Messi?’: Fans React To India's Cycling Duo Beckham And Ronaldo
David Beckham Elkatohchoongo and Ronaldo Singh Laitonjam have grabbed the attention of sports enthusiasts and football fans due to their famous names, with several social media users jokingly wondering where Lionel Messi and other football stars were.
Taking to their X handles, many were left amused by the presence of the two cyclists, with some jokingly asking about Lionel Messi, while others praised the Indian duo for making their own mark in cycling. Some fans also joined in with jokes about the football stars, highlighting the amusing coincidence surrounding the names of the two Indian cyclists.
A few fans even brought other football stars into the conversation, with one asking, ‘What about Messi and Haaland?’, while another joked, ‘I didn’t know we have David Beckham and Ronaldo with us.’
Meanwhile, India moved to the fifth spot on the medal table with 75 medals, including 15 gold, 25 silver, and 35 bronze, as the Indian contingent continued its impressive campaign across multiple disciplines at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026.
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