India’s Esports Squad Exits Asian Games 2026 Without a Medal: Full Recap
India’s esports campaign at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, ended without a medal. A 15-member contingent represented the country across four medal events, eFootball, Pokémon UNITE, League of Legends and Puyo Puyo Champions, in a competition that ran from September 23 to October 2 at Aichi Sky Expo and featured 11 esports titles with roughly 30 nations taking part. Every Indian entry fell short of the podium, and the wait for India’s first official Asian Games esports medal continues.
Early Exits in eFootball, Pokémon UNITE and Puyo Puyo
India’s route to Japan ran through the National Esports Championships 2026, which the Esports Federation of India used to select athletes across nine disciplines. The final 15-member esports squad was backed by the sports ministry, the Indian Olympic Association and the Sports Authority of India.
The first exits came early in the competition. India’s eFootball representatives were knocked out in the group stage, and the Pokémon UNITE team also failed to advance beyond its group, with official results showing defeats against South Korea and Japan. Puyo Puyo Champions also finished without a medal, leaving League of Legends as India’s last chance to reach the podium.
League of Legends Falls in a Tough Group
The League of Legends squad, which competes domestically for S8UL Esports, earned its place by topping its group at the Asian Games qualifiers in Kuala Lumpur in June. It was led by 24-year-old Kochi-based mid laner Akshaj Shenoy, who captained India at the previous Asian Games, where the team finished fifth. Akshaj, Aakash, Mihir and Sanindhya were part of that run, while Ahmed Shahid, a chemical engineering graduate from Aligarh, and Rahul Bisht, a 29-year-old product designer and entrepreneur from Bengaluru, made their Asian Games debuts.
The draw was unforgiving. India was placed in Group B with 2022 champions South Korea, runners-up Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong. India opened on September 30 against Hong Kong and lost 1-0, then fell to South Korea and Chinese Taipei to finish fourth with a 0-3 record. That made India the first team to bow out of the tournament, as only the top two from each group advanced. South Korea topped the group with a perfect record, Chinese Taipei joined them with two wins, and Saudi Arabia and Vietnam came through Group A for a playoff stage that began on October 1, with the final on October 2.
India’s best result in an official Asian Games esports event remains the fifth place from Hangzhou, where esports became a full medal sport. The only Indian podium finish came in 2018, when Tirth Mehta won bronze in Hearthstone while esports was still a demonstration event. This year’s squad arrived with more international experience than any before it, but the results show how steep the climb remains against traditional League of Legends powers such as South Korea and Chinese Taipei.
The disappointment came in the same month that Indian esports had other highlights, from Global Esports reaching VALORANT Champions to Indian BGMI teams filling packed LAN arenas. Taken together, the Asian Games outcome is a reminder that national-team success will depend on how well the domestic ecosystem can turn strong club results into consistent international performance.
