Asian Games 2026 Offers India 12 Olympic Quota Opportunities For LA 2028

The Asian Games 2026, scheduled to be held in Aichi-Nagoya from September 19 to October 4, will offer Indian athletes more than an opportunity to compete for continental honours, with 12 Olympic quota places for LA 2028 available across archery, hockey, squash and tennis.

While Olympic qualification in many sports is determined through world rankings, world championships or dedicated qualifying events, the Asian Games form part of the qualification pathway in several disciplines.

Archery offers the largest number of quota opportunities, with six places available. Gold and silver medallists in the men's and women's individual recurve events will earn one quota each for their National Olympic Committees (NOCs). The recurve mixed-team champions and compound mixed-team champions will also secure one quota each. Compound mixed team will make its Olympic debut at LA 2028.

The quotas are awarded to NOCs rather than individual athletes, allowing countries to decide which eligible athletes will use the places at the Olympics. Dhiraj Bommadevara and Jyothi Surekha Vennam are among India's leading archery contenders.

In hockey, the men's and women's Asian Games champions will earn Olympic qualification places, provided their NOCs have not already qualified through another route. If a winner has already secured a place, the quota will pass to the next highest-placed team that has not qualified. The United States has qualified as host, while the Netherlands women's team and Belgium men's team earned places as the 2025-26 FIH Hockey Pro League champions. Harmanpreet Singh will captain India's men's side, while Salima Tete will lead the women's team.

Squash, which will make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles, offers two quotas. The men's and women's singles champions at Aichi-Nagoya will secure Olympic places. India's squad includes Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh.

Tennis also offers two quotas, with the men's and women's singles champions qualifying subject to a top-500 singles ranking at the relevant cut-off on June 12, 2028. India's team features Sumit Nagal, Sriram Balaji and Yuki Bhambri.

The Aichi-Nagoya Games could therefore prove crucial in shaping India's pathway to LA 2028.