Sports Ministry Approves 15-Member Indian Esports Contingent for Asian Games 2026

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has given the green light to a 15-member esports contingent that will represent India at the upcoming Asian Games. This squad forms part of the country's much larger 492-member multi-sport delegation heading to Japan for the continental event.

About the 20th Asian Games 2026

1. The 20th edition of the Asian Games will take place in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, running from September 19 to October 4.
2. Esports, one of the newer additions to the multi-sport event, will run its own separate schedule from September 23 to October 2, featuring competition across 13 different video game titles spanning various gaming genres.
3. The government's official sanction order for India's esports squad was issued on August 22.

India Will Compete in Four Titles at the 20th Asian Games 2026

Out of the 13 titles on offer, India has qualified players for only four: 

1. League of Legends
2. Pokemon UNITE
3. eFootball
4. Puyo Puyo Champions. 

This marks a smaller presence compared to the 2022 Hangzhou edition, where India had sent 19 esports athletes and its League of Legends squad finished an impressive 5th overall.

The Six-Member Pokémon UNITE Team

India's Pokemon UNITE squad is captained by Adnan Mohammed Badshah from Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. 

He'll be joined by Reuben Godfrey Fernandes (Mira Bhayandar, Maharashtra), Sai Krishna Nalluri (Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh), Dipjyoti Laxman Nath (Thane, Maharashtra), Rudra Narayan Nayak (Bhubaneshwar, Odisha) and Deepkumar Vipulbhai Patel (Ahmedabad, Gujarat). 

Separately, Chinmay Sahoo (Jajpur, Odisha) and Danial Shakeel Patel (Mumbai) will compete in eFootball, while Paritosh from Rohtak, Haryana, has been cleared for Puyo Puyo Champions.

The League of Legends Team Comprises

India's League of Legends roster is led by captain Akshaj Shenoy from Ernakulam, Kerala. The rest of the team includes Ahmed Shahid Israr (Aligarh, UP), Rahul Bisht (Delhi), Sanindhya Malik (Delhi), Mihir Ranjan (Delhi) and Aakash Shandilya (Greater Noida, UP). Given the team's strong showing in the last Games, expectations remain high for another solid finish this time around.