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The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has approved a 15-member Indian esports contingent for the 20th Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.
The esports competitions will be held from September 23 to October 2 and will feature 13 video game titles across different competitive genres. India will compete in four titles: League of Legends, Pokemon UNITE, eFootball and Puyo Puyo Champions, according to the government's sanction order issued on August 22. Welcoming the approval, Lokesh Suji, Director, Esports Federation of India (ESFI) and Vice-President of the Asian Esports Federation, said, "The official clearance of our 15-member contingent is a significant milestone for Indian esports and gives our athletes the platform to compete for the country at the highest continental level. With India participating across four titles, our immediate focus has been on providing the players with the best possible preparation and support ahead of Aichi-Nagoya 2026. We extend our deepest and most heartfelt gratitude to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Indian Olympic Association, and the Sports Authority of India for their unwavering support, encouragement and recognition of India's esports athletes. Their trust in our athletes and commitment to supporting their journey is a matter of immense pride and will inspire our athletes as they prepare to represent India on the Asian Games stage" The six-member Pokemon UNITE team comprises Captain Adnan Mohammed Badshah (Dewas, MP), Reuben Godfrey Fernandes (Mira Bhayandar, Maharashtra), Sai Krishna Nalluri (Rajahmundry, AP), Dipjyoti Laxman Nath (Thane, Maharashtra), Rudra Narayan Nayak (Bhubaneshwar, Odisha) and Deepkumar Vipulbhai Patel (Ahmedabad, Gujarat). Chinmay Sahoo (Jajpur, Odisha) and Danial Shakeel Patel (Mumbai, Maharashtra) will represent India in eFootball, while Paritosh (Rohtak, Haryana) has been approved for Puyo Puyo Champions. The League of Legends team comprises Ahmed Shahid Israr (Aligarh, UP), Rahul Bisht (Delhi), Sanindhya Malik (Delhi), Mihir Ranjan (Delhi), Aakash Shandilya (Greater Noida, UP) and Captain Akshaj Shenoy (Ernakulam, Kerala). ESFI had also sent a 19-member Indian esports contingent to the previous edition of the Asian Games, held in Hangzhou in 2022, where the Indian League of Legends team secured a commendable 5th-place finish. The esports contingent is part of the 492-member Indian athlete delegation cleared by the government for the continental event. (ANI)
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