Asian Games 2026: Here are the top 10 non-Indian athletes to watch out for

FILE PHOTO: South Korea’s An Seyoung grabbed her maiden Badminton Asia Championships individual gold and second World Championships crown this year. | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

Asian Games 2026 is set to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4 this year.

Here are the top 10 non-Indian athletes to watch out for at the continental event:

An Seyoung (Badminton)

South Korea’s An Seyoung has already established herself as one of the all-time greats in the world of badminton.

This season, the World No. 1 An has dominated her opponents. She grabbed her maiden Badminton Asia Championships individual gold and second World Championships crown. She also led Korea to the Uber Cup title.

In 11 tournaments, she has lost just one match.

It would be a huge upset if An fails to defend her title in Aichi-Nagoya.

Alexandra Eala (Tennis)

FILE PHOTO: Alexandra Eala of the Philippines will be the top seed in women’s singles event. | Photo Credit: AP

Filipina sensation Alexandra Eala, currently ranked 18th in the world, will be the top seed in women’s singles event. She had won bronze medals in singles and mixed doubles in Hangzhou.

The 21-year-old has had a season to remember so far.

At Wimbledon, she stunned defending champion and former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the third round.

In August, she became the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA Tour-level singles title at the Washington Open.

Sivasangari Subramaniam (Squash)

FILE PHOTO: This year, Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam has won the Grasshopper Cup, reached the World Championship quarterfinals and the summit clash of the PSA Squash Tour Finals 2025-26. | Photo Credit: SIVASANGARI SUBRAMANIAM (Via Instagram)

Malaysian World No. 5 Sivasangari Subramaniam, born in Sungai Petani, Kedah to Tamil parents, is the favourite to win the women’s singles gold in squash. If she manages to become champion, not only will she successfully defend her title but also, she will book her spot for the sport’s debut at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

Sivasangari was involved in a car accident just before the Commonwealth Games in 2022. While she had to pull out of the event in Birmingham, she eventually made a successful comeback to the sport.

This year, she has won the Grasshopper Cup, reached the World Championship quarterfinals and the summit clash of the PSA Squash Tour Finals 2025-26.

Sun Yingsha (Table Tennis)

FILE PHOTO: Sun Yingsha, the 25-year-old Chinese paddler, clinched her third straight World Cup title this year. | Photo Credit: BISWARANJAN ROUT

Sun Yingsha enters the Asian Games after a stellar season.

The 25-year-old Chinese paddler, nicknamed ShaSha, clinched her third straight World Cup title this year. She also won the US Smash and the Singapore Smash, and led China to the World Team Table Tennis Championships title.

Her 217-week run as the World No. 1 ended on Monday when she was replaced at the top of the ITTF rankings by compatriot Wang Manyu. She will look to retain her Asian Games gold, even if it means defeating Wang in the final.

Yan Ziyi (Athletics)

China’s Yan Ziyi recorded the second-best women’s javelin throw - 71.74m - in history this year. | Photo Credit: AP

Yan Ziyi is an 18-year-old javelin throw phenom from China and a major threat to Haruka Kitaguchi’s dream of winning her maiden Asian Games gold on home soil.

Before this year, Yan’s Personal Best was 65.89m. She started her 2026 season with an enormous effort of 71.74m at the Xiamen Diamond League. In the process, she set a new World U20 record and recorded the second-best women’s javelin throw in history (behind only Barbora Spotakova’s 72.28m world record from 2008).

She also won the four Diamond League meetings in Oslo, Paris, Monaco and the season-ending final in Brussels. At the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest, she finished second behind Kitaguchi as she had to retire after just two throws due to a foot injury.

Yu Zidi (Swimming)

FILE PHOTO: Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi became the youngest medallist in World Championships history at the age of 12 last year. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Yu Zidi is a talented young swimmer from China who has already made history. At the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, at just 12 years old, she became the youngest swimmer ever to reach a World Championship final. By swimming in the heats of China’s 4×200m freestyle relay squad, which took bronze in the final, she became the youngest medallist in World Championships history.

At the China Open in March this year, she beat multiple Olympic medallist Regan Smith in the women’s 200m butterfly.

In Aichi-Nagoya, Yu will also compete in the 200m individual medley and 400m individual medley.

Rumesh Pathirage (Athletics)

FILE PHOTO: Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage has gone beyond the 90m-mark in three different competitions this year. He has a Personal Best of 92.62m. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Sri Lankan javelin thrower Rumesh Pathirage is in the form of his life.

He has gone beyond the 90m-mark in three different competitions this year. He has a Personal Best of 92.62m.

In July, Pathirage beat India’s Neeraj Chopra, the defending champion, for the Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow. This month, in Brussels, he won the Diamond League Final.

Recently, he won the the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships crown in Budapest, Hungary, with yet another 90m-plus effort - 91.09m.

He looks set to become the first-ever Sri Lankan to win the men’s javelin throw gold medal at the Asian Games.

Sheng Lihao (Shooting)

FILE PHOTO: Sheng Lihao (right) has been in superb form this season, winning gold medals at the ISSF World Cups in Hangzhou and Grenada. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

China’s Sheng Lihao, 21, is the reigning Asian Games and Olympic Champion in men’s 10m air rifle.

Sheng has been in superb form this season, winning gold medals at the ISSF World Cups in Hangzhou and Grenada.

In Aichi-Nagoya, he will also compete in the men’s 50m 3 positions event.

Kim Woojin (Archery)

FILE PHOTO: South Korean recurve archer Kim Woojin has won the individual gold twice at the Asian Games. | Photo Credit: World Archery Federation via Getty Images

Kim Woojin is a decorated recurve archer from South Korea with plenty of experience. The 34-year-old Kim is the reigning individual Olympic champion, has two World Championships gold medals and two Asian Games crowns as well.

Kim hasn’t won a medal at any of the World Cup stages this year but he has a habit of stepping up when it really matters.

Akari Fujinami (Wrestling)

Japan's Akari Fujinami is the undisputed favourite for the gold medal in women’s 57kg freestyle wrestling. | Photo Credit: AP

Akari Fujinami is a 22-year-old freestyle wrestler from Japan.

Fujinami is a very dominant wrestler who has not lost a bout since a defeat at the National Junior High School Championships in 2017.

Having won two World Championships, one Asian Games gold and an Olympic crown in the 53kg category, Fujinami has switched to the 57kg division in which she is already the reigning U23 World Champion.