Gujarat achieves record representation at 2026 Asian Games with nine athletes

Gujarat will have its biggest-ever representation at the Asian Games, with nine athletes and one reserve selected to represent India at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.

The selection marks a significant rise from the 2014 Asian Games, when only three athletes from the state were part of the Indian contingent, highlighting Gujarat’s growing presence across multiple sporting disciplines.

Advertisement

The athletes selected from Gujarat are shooter Elavenil Valarivan; table tennis players Harmeet Desai, Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah; soft tennis player Aniket Patel; swimmer Aryan Nehra; tennis players Ankita Raina and Vaidehi Chaudhari; and sprinter Devyani Zala. Tennis player Jil Desai has been named as a reserve.

Harsh Sanghavi credits long-term investment in sports

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi attributed the record representation to sustained investment in sports development initiated over the past decade.

“To ensure that athletes from Gujarat develop their talent at the international level, the then Chief Minister and now Prime Minister Narendra Modi implemented initiatives ranging from Khel Mahakumbh to the Shaktidoot Yojana. The results of those efforts are now visible. Gujarat is emerging as a global powerhouse in sports.”

He added that the state government, under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, is focused on building a world-class sporting ecosystem.

“We are not only training athletes but also creating an entire ecosystem that enables them to bring glory to the nation at the international level.”

Sanghavi also said Gujarat was preparing to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, with work on world-class sports infrastructure progressing at a rapid pace.

State officials said the representation across shooting, table tennis, tennis, swimming, athletics and soft tennis reflects Gujarat’s expanding contribution to Indian sport beyond its traditional association with cricket.