Nagoya, Sep 29: India’s six-member golf contingent, led by Asian Games silver medallist Aditi Ashok, will begin its campaign at the Asian Games 2026 on Wednesday, with the team facing a strong international field at the Kasugai Country Club’s East Course.
India will field three players each in the men’s and women’s events. Yuvraj Sandhu, Veer Ahlawat and Saptak Talwar will represent the men’s team, while Aditi will be joined by Diksha Dagar and Pranavi Urs in the women’s competition.
The tournament will feature 66 men and 45 women, with no cuts involved, allowing players to remain in contention throughout the 72-hole competition. In the team events, the best two scores from each round will count towards the final standings.
Aditi will be appearing at her third Asian Games after competing in 2014 and 2023. She remains the only Indian woman to have won an Asian Games golf medal, having claimed individual silver at Hangzhou. She narrowly missed out on gold after a difficult final round but helped underline India’s growing presence in women’s golf.
Diksha brings considerable international experience to the squad, having won twice on the Ladies European Tour, while Pranavi is also an established LET campaigner.
The men’s team combines experience and current form. Sandhu, a former PGTI Order of Merit leader, has been among India’s consistent performers, while Talwar enters the competition as the current PGTI Order of Merit leader. Ahlawat, another former PGTI No. 1, completes the trio.
India has won seven Asian Games golf medals, including three golds, but the men’s team has not reached the podium since 2010. The women finished fourth in the team event at Hangzhou.
The field also features several high-profile international names. South Korea’s Tom Kim, a PGA Tour winner, headlines the men’s competition, with a gold medal potentially helping him secure exemption from mandatory military service. Japan will also field professional golfers, including Keita Nakajima, the 2022 Asian Games individual and team champion as an amateur.
Asian Games: Indian Golf Contingent
Here is the Indian golf contingent across the men’s and women’s sections:
Men’s Section: Yuvraj Sandhu, Saptak Talwar and Veer Ahlawat
Women’s Section: Aditi Ashok, Diksha Dagar and Pranavi Urs
Asian Games: Golf Schedule
The competition will run from September 30 to October 3, with four gold medals on offer across the individual and team events.