MYAS Approves Indian Esports Contingent for Asian Games 2026

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports approved a 15-member Indian esports contingent for the 20th Asian Games on 22 August 2026. The contingent forms part of a 492-member Indian multi-sport delegation for the Games scheduled in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from 19 September to 4 October 2026.

Asian Games and Esports Programme

The 20th Asian Games are a continental multi-sport event under the Olympic Council of Asia. The esports competition at Aichi-Nagoya is scheduled from 23 September to 2 October 2026. Esports has been included in the Asian Games programme as a medal event in recent editions.

Approved Game Titles

India received clearance for four esports titles at the 2026 Asian Games. These titles are League of Legends, Pokémon UNITE, eFootball, and Puyo Puyo Champions. Each title belongs to a different competitive format within the broader esports discipline.

• League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena game developed by Riot Games.
• Pokémon UNITE is a team-based battle game developed by TiMi Studio Group and The Pokémon Company.
• eFootball is a football simulation game developed by Konami.
• Puyo Puyo Champions is a puzzle game in the Puyo Puyo series.

Indian Squad Composition

The approved Pokémon UNITE squad has six players, including captain Adnan Mohammed Badshah, Reuben Godfrey Fernandes, Sai Krishna Nalluri, Dipjyoti Laxman Nath, Rudra Narayan Nayak, and Deepkumar Vipulbhai Patel. The sanctioned League of Legends squad also has six players, including captain Akshaj Shenoy, Ahmed Shahid Israr, Rahul Bisht, Sanindhya Malik, Mihir Ranjan, and Aakash Shandilya.

Chinmay Sahoo and Danial Shakeel Patel were approved for eFootball. Paritosh of Rohtak in Haryana was approved as the sole Indian representative for Puyo Puyo Champions.

Important Facts for Exams

• The 20th Asian Games will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from 19 September to 4 October 2026.
• The esports competition at the 2026 Asian Games is scheduled from 23 September to 2 October 2026.
• The Indian government cleared a 492-member multi-sport delegation for the Games.
• The Esports Federation of India is led by Director Lokesh Suji, who is also Vice-President of the Asian Esports Federation.

Esports in India

Esports in India is governed through recognised federations and national selection processes for international events. The Esports Federation of India is the national body associated with competitive gaming representation.