The central government has spent Rs 800.70 crore on preparations for India’s athletes competing at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, according to expenditure figures released by the Sports Ministry.
The spending covers support provided through the Annual Competition and Training Calendar (ACTC) and the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), including training, international competition exposure, equipment, coaches and sports experts.
India will send 501 athletes across 36 disciplines to the Asian Games, which begin on September 19. The contingent includes 267 men and 234 women, with 310 athletes set to make their Asian Games debut.
The ministry’s figures relate to athlete preparation and do not include the cost of staging the Games in Japan.
International competition accounts for largest share
Of the total Rs 800.70 crore, Rs 702.86 crore was spent through ACTC, while Rs 97.84 crore came from TOPS.
| Funding channel | Expenditure |
|---|---|
| Annual Competition and Training Calendar | Rs 702.86 crore |
| Target Olympic Podium Scheme | Rs 97.84 crore |
| Total | Rs 800.70 crore |
International competition exposure accounted for Rs 251.4 crore, the largest spending category identified by the ministry. Domestic training accounted for another Rs 118.3 crore.
Together, the two categories accounted for Rs 369.7 crore.
The ministry also provided equipment support and funding for coaches and experts. It did not provide separate figures for these components in the expenditure details released.
A sport-wise or year-wise breakdown of the total expenditure was also not provided.
The spending covers preparations over the past three years, with participation in international competitions forming the largest individual category cited by the ministry.
501 athletes, 310 Asian Games debutants
India’s 501 athletes will be accompanied by 265 support staff, taking the total contingent to 766 people.
The athlete count is two fewer than the 503 originally sanctioned after two athletes were dropped following doping violations.
The 310 debutants account for about 62% of the athlete contingent.
The contingent also includes 65 athletes who have come through the Khelo India programme.
Among the younger athletes in the contingent are table tennis player Syndrela Das, badminton player Ayush Shetty, squash player Anahat Singh and judoka Asmita Dey.
Cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, is also part of India’s Asian Games contingent. However, he is not funded by the Sports Ministry, according to the information provided by the ministry.
Sports science personnel among support staff
TOPS has also been involved in arranging support teams for the athletes, including physiotherapists, doctors and mental health experts.
N S Johal, CEO of TOPS, said sports science personnel account for about one-third of the authorised support staff.
Women are represented among the support staff of every team, according to Johal. Of the 265 support staff members, 56 are women.
The finalisation of the support teams took time in some cases after federations initially failed to nominate enough women, Johal said.
Nine coordination meetings held this year
The Target Asian Games Group held nine coordination meetings from January 2026, according to Johal.
The meetings were held as preparations were coordinated with national sports federations and the various support teams.
Johal did not provide details when asked about administrative difficulties involving some federations.
The preparations took place against a backdrop of disputes and selection-related issues involving some national sports federations.
India in Japan after 106-medal haul in Hangzhou
India won 106 medals at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, including 28 gold, 38 silver and 40 bronze medals.
Johal said the current contingent had the momentum to match or improve on that medal tally in Japan.
“In the end the performance has to come from athletes. We have tried our best. As I said, the momentum is good and the younger lot is carrying this momentum,” Johal said.
The 2026 Asian Games is underway in Aichi-Nagoya from September 19 and will culminate on October 4.