Anurag Thakur hails Joshna & Velavan's Asian Games bronze
Synopsis
BJP MP Anurag Thakur congratulated Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar on winning the bronze medal in Squash Mixed Doubles at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, adding to India's multi-sport Games tally.
Key Takeaways
Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar won the bronze medal in Squash Mixed Doubles at Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur , former Union Minister of Sports, publicly congratulated the pair on 26 September 2026 .
Joshna Chinappa is a multiple-time Indian national squash champion with extensive Asian Games and Commonwealth Games experience.
India's squash programme has grown through Sports Ministry-backed national academies since the 2010s, steadily expanding the podium talent base.
The bronze adds to India's overall medal tally at Asian Games 2026, with individual and team squash draws still ongoing.
Bronze from the squash court — and India's flag flies a little higher at Asian Games 2026. BJP MP Anurag Thakur, former Union Minister of Sports, celebrated the achievement of Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar on Saturday, 26 September 2026, after the pair claimed a bronze medal in Squash Mixed Doubles at the Games hosted in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Joshna and Velavan's bronze on the Aichi-Nagoya courts
Joshna Chinappa is one of Indian squash's most decorated names — a multiple-time national champion who has carried the tricolour at successive Asian Games and Commonwealth Games campaigns. Pairing with Velavan Senthilkumar in the mixed doubles format, the duo battled through to the podium in what the Asian Games roster lists as one of the sport's most contested categories.
Thakur, who oversaw India's sporting calendar during his tenure as Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, posted his congratulations with characteristic brevity: 'Bronze it is! Heartiest congratulations to Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar on winning the Bronze medal in Squash Mixed Doubles at the Asian Games 2026. Jai Hind 🇮🇳'
Squash's quiet rise in India's multi-sport medal story
Indian squash has punched above its weight at continental and global stages for over a decade. The sport's integration into national academy frameworks — supported through Sports Ministry programmes from the 2010s onward — has gradually widened India's talent pipeline beyond its original base in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Podium finishes in Asian Games doubles events represent the compounding dividend of that investment.
Every medal in a multi-sport Games feeds India's aggregate tally and, more practically, strengthens the case for continued institutional funding for racket sports. A bronze in mixed doubles checks both boxes — competitive validation and political visibility for a discipline that rarely headlines primetime.
What India's squash contingent chases next
With the Asian Games 2026 still live, attention turns to whether India's squash players can add to the haul in remaining individual or team draws. Beyond the Games, the Asian Squash Championships and international doubles circuits offer the next proving grounds for Chinappa and Senthilkumar's partnership. The bronze in Aichi-Nagoya is a marker, not a ceiling.
Point of View
Publicly marking the moment is also a statement of institutional continuity: the Sports Ministry's investment in non-marquee disciplines is yielding measurable returns. The pairing of an established champion like Joshna Chinappa with Velavan Senthilkumar in the doubles format signals a deliberate depth-building strategy that goes beyond individual glory. India's expanding Asian Games medal haul in racket sports is increasingly a policy story as much as a sporting one.
NationPress
26 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the bronze medal in Squash Mixed Doubles at Asian Games 2026?
Indian players Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar won the bronze medal in Squash Mixed Doubles at the Asian Games 2026 held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Where are the Asian Games 2026 being held?
The Asian Games 2026 are being hosted in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Who is Joshna Chinappa?
Joshna Chinappa is one of India's most accomplished squash players, a multiple-time national champion who has represented India at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
Why did Anurag Thakur congratulate the squash players?
As a former Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports and a BJP MP closely associated with India's sporting programmes, Anurag Thakur regularly acknowledges Indian athletes' international achievements.
Has India won medals in squash at previous Asian Games?
Yes, India has had occasional podium finishes in squash at the Asian Games in both individual and team events across multiple editions.
