The dust has settled on Nagoya 2026, and India is sitting comfortably in fourth place. The country banked 21 gold, 27 silver, and 37 bronze medals for a total of 85. It’s a respectable haul, though it falls short of the 106 medals won in the previous edition.
The final two days were a frenzy. Eleven of those 21 golds landed between Friday and Saturday. Shreyas Iyer anchored the cricket team to a 19-run thriller over Pakistan in Nisshin, while Harmanpreet Singh’s hockey squad crushed Malaysia 5-1 in Kakamigahara. That hockey gold isn't just a trophy; it’s a direct ticket to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
But the real stories came from the individual sports. Kumkum Mohod, just 17, became the first Indian woman to win individual recurve archery gold at the Games. Golfer Pranavi Urs did something equally historic, taking individual gold in her sport. Both handled the pressure like veterans.
Wrestler Aman Sehrawat added another title in the 57kg category, extending his Olympic bronze-winning form. Yet, the medal table isn't fully frozen. Equestrian events are scheduled for Sunday, and Uzbekistan, currently fifth with 21 golds, is still in the hunt. China topped the charts with 169 golds, leaving no doubt about their dominance.
India's final rank could shift slightly depending on Sunday's equestrian results, but the core achievement remains: a strong, historic campaign in the 21-and-under age bracket.