Gujarat to send record nine athletes to represent India at 2026 Asian Games

Gandhinagar: Gujarat will have its largest-ever representation at the Asian Games, with nine athletes and one reserve player selected to represent India at the 20th Asian Games in Japan’s Aichi-Nagoya from September 19 to October 4, 2026.

The selection marks a significant increase from the 2014 Asian Games, when only three athletes from Gujarat represented the country.

State officials said the latest contingent reflects the steady expansion of Gujarat’s presence across multiple sporting disciplines at the international level.

The athletes selected from Gujarat include 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.

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi said the increase in representation was the result of long-term investment in sports development. IANS

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