Gujarat to field record nine athletes for India's 2026 Asian Games

Gujarat will send a record nine athletes, plus one reserve, to represent India at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi‑Nagoya, Japan (Sept 19‑Oct 4). The contingent includes 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, with Jil Desai as reserve.

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi said the expanded representation reflects long‑term investment in sports development initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and continued under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. He noted Gujarat's preparations to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and ongoing infrastructure upgrades, highlighting the state's growing contribution across multiple disciplines beyond cricket.