11 gold medals and new standards: Women who raised the bar at Asian Games 2026

Kumkum Mohod, 17, stood next to Korean recurve archer Oh Yejin, beaming after having vanquished the Olympic champion. Pranavi Urs walked back from a historic golf gold almost matter-of-factly, after downing China’s Yin Ruoning, World No 6, a Major champion, and winner on the tour the previous week.They looked assured, confident and certain that they belonged — the kind of conviction that comes after pulling off a major upset.India’s women have increasingly fought for and earned their space, both on and off the field. And, now, they are doing so on the podium too. At the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Indian women arrived at very different points in their careers – from teenagers such as Anahat Singh and Kumkum, established stars such as Mirabai Chanu and Lovlina Borgohain, and a 36-year-old Suchika Tariyal who refused to give up on her desire to win an Asiad medal.