Asian Games 2026: Indian athletes who may in action for the last time

The 2026 Asian Games are just around the corner, with India preparing to send its athletes the biggest multi-sport events in the continent.

Every edition brings new faces into the Indian contingent, with young athletes getting their first chance to represent the country and build their careers on the biggest stage.

But alongside those making their Asian games debut, there are also athletes who could be making their final appearance at the games.

With age and the timing of the next edition becoming factors, the 2026 Asian games in Aichi-Nagoya could be the last Asian games for some of India's biggest names.

Here, lets take a look at five Indian athletes who could be competing at their final Asian games this year.

PV Sindhu

PV Sindhu is India's most successful badminton players and a two-time Olympic medallist. She has also won two Asian games medals in her career.

At the 2014 Asian games in Incheon, Sindhu won a bronze medal in the women's team event. Four years later, at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian games, she added a silver medal in the women's singles event.

The 2023 Asian games in Hangzhou, however, ended without a medal for her. She defeated Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani 21-16, 21-16 in the round of 16 before losing to China's He Bingjiao 16-21, 12-21 in the quarter-finals.

At 31, she could be heading into her final Asian games appearance. She would be 35 by the time the next edition comes around, with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics potentially marking the final stage of her career.

With a bronze and a silver already in her Asian games collection, Sindhu could now look to add the one medal missing from her tally - gold.

Mirabai Chanu

Mirabai Chanu is one of India's greatest ever weightlifters and an Olympic silver medallist, but there is one medal missing in her career. The 32-year-old is yet to win an Asian games medal.

At the 2023 Asian games in Hangzhou, Chanu finished fourth in the women's 49kg category, narrowly missing the podium while dealing with a lingering hip and thigh injury.

By the time the next Asian games take place, she would be 36, making this edition potentially her final appearance at the continental games.

After coming so close to the podium in Hangzhou,she will hope to finally add an Asian games medal to her collection this time around.

Savita Punia

Savita Punia has been a key figure in the Indian women's hockey team for years. The goalkeeper from Haryana, known as "The Wall", has earned more than 300 international caps and now also plays the role of a mentor for the team.

At the 2023 Asian games in Hangzhou, Punia captained India to a bronze medal. After losing their semi-final, India bounced back to beat Japan 2-1 in the third-place playoff and secure a podium finish.

This could potentially be Punia's final Asian games. With her role as a mentor and the Indian team coming off a fourth-place finish at the FIH Hockey World Cup, she could now look to help the team push for a better result in Aichi-Nagoya and possibly getting gold this time.

Joshna Chinappa

Joshna Chinappa has been one of the most prominent names in Indian squash, with an Asian games career stretching across seven consecutive editions from 2002 to 2026. She has won five Asian games medals (two silver and three bronze) during her career.

At the 2023 Asian games in Hangzhou, Chinappa won bronze in the women's team event, while her individual campaign ended in the pre-quarter-finals of the women's singles.

She turns 40 in September this year, making the 2026 Asian games a possible final appearance for the veteran squash player. With five Asian games medals already to her name, she could now look to finish her Asian games journey by adding a gold to her collection.

Annu Rani

Annu Rani could also be heading into her final Asian games appearance in 2026. The Indian javelin thrower is a two-time Olympian and an Asian games gold medallist.

At the 2023 Asian games in Hangzhou, she created history by winning gold in the women's javelin throw.

She produced a season-best throw of 62.92m on her fourth attempt to become the first Indian woman to win an Asian games gold medal in javelin throw.

At 34, She could be competing at her final Asian games, with the next edition set to arrive when she would be 38.

Having already made history in Hangzhou, Rani will now look to repeat that success and finish what could be her final Asian games with another memorable performance.