Injuries reshaped several corners of India’s Asian Games 2026 squad well before the opening ceremony, forcing genuine medal contenders out of contention and testing the depth of India’s contingent across multiple sports.
## Rishikanta Singh
The Commonwealth Games silver medallist withdrew from weightlifting just days before the Games began, after a recurring knee injury failed to sufficiently heal following the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. His absence left India without male representation in the discipline entirely. Our dedicated update covers his withdrawal and career context in full.
## Divyanshi Chaudhary
The wushu competitor was replaced in India’s squad by two-time Asian Games medallist Roshibina Devi after suffering a shoulder injury during preparations. Our dedicated update on the swap explains exactly what happened and why it wasn’t the kind of scandal some headlines suggested.
## Nithya Gandhe and Shahnavaz Khan
Both athletics competitors were withdrawn from India’s squad due to injury and performance concerns, part of a broader reshuffling of the athletics contingent in the final weeks before the Games began.
## Jyothi Yarraji’s Close Call
Not every injury story ended in withdrawal. Hurdler Jyothi Yarraji, who had been carrying a niggle since a meet in Bhubaneswar, was cleared by India’s medical team to compete after assessment, a positive outcome amid a run of otherwise difficult news.
## Why This Matters
Losing multiple genuine medal contenders to injury in the final weeks before a major Games inevitably affects overall team depth, even when replacement athletes step up capably in their place.
## The Bottom Line
Between weightlifting, wushu and athletics, injuries forced India into several late squad adjustments heading into Aichi-Nagoya, a reminder of how fragile Games preparation can be even for well-prepared contingents.
The wider effect of these injury setbacks will only become fully clear once every affected discipline has completed its competition schedule later in the Games.