CM Fadnavis meets Asian Games 2026 gold medallists at Mantralaya
Synopsis
Vice-captain Sonali Shingte and player Aslam Inamdar, gold medallists for India at the Asian Games 2026, met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at Mantralaya, Mumbai on 29 September. Fadnavis congratulated both athletes on their performance and wished them well for the future.
Key Takeaways
Sonali Shingte , vice-captain of the Indian women's kabaddi team, won gold at the Asian Games 2026 .
Aslam Inamdar was part of the gold-medal-winning Indian men's kabaddi squad at the 2026 Asian Games .
Both athletes met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at Mantralaya, Mumbai on 29 September 2026 .
CM Fadnavis personally congratulated the athletes and extended best wishes for their future in sport.
India's kabaddi teams have a strong Asian Games legacy, having also won gold at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games .
Maharashtra governments have a consistent tradition of formally honouring athletes who return from major international competitions.
Gold around their necks and a Chief Minister's welcome awaiting them — Sonali Shingte, vice-captain of the Indian women's kabaddi team, and Aslam Inamdar, a member of the Indian men's kabaddi squad, brought their Asian Games 2026 glory to the corridors of power on Tuesday, 29 September 2026. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis received both athletes at Mantralaya, Mumbai, offering personal congratulations on their gold-medal performances.
A gold-medal homecoming at Mantralaya
The Chief Minister's Office of Maharashtra shared the moment on X, noting that both athletes called on CM Fadnavis at the state secretariat. Fadnavis congratulated them on their 'outstanding performance' — उत्कृष्ट कामगिरी — and extended his best wishes for their future journeys in sport. Shingte's role as vice-captain of the women's side underscores how central Maharashtra-born talent has been to Indian kabaddi's medal push at the continental stage.
Maharashtra's athletes at the heart of Indian kabaddi
India's kabaddi teams have long been dominant forces at the Asian Games, with both the men's and women's sides having claimed gold at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games. Carrying forward that tradition, the 2026 edition saw both squads stand on the top step of the podium once again. Maharashtra has historically produced a significant share of the national roster, making moments like this one — when state athletes return as continental champions — a recurring source of civic pride for the government.
A state practice of honouring sporting excellence
The meeting at Mantralaya fits a well-established pattern: Maharashtra governments across administrations have made it a point to receive athletes who return from major international competitions with hardware. Such meetings serve as both personal recognition and a public signal of the state's investment in sport. Whether Tuesday's audience translates into formal state-level sports awards or support schemes for Shingte and Inamdar is the question the kabaddi community will now watch closely.
Point of View
But they carry quiet political utility: they signal state-level ownership of national sporting success at a moment when sports diplomacy is gaining traction in Indian governance. For Fadnavis, welcoming two Maharashtra athletes who contributed to a historic Asian Games double gold reinforces the state's identity as a nursery of elite kabaddi talent. The broader pattern — across party lines — of state governments institutionalising athlete felicitation points toward a slowly maturing sports-recognition ecosystem in India, even if formal award announcements and financial support schemes remain inconsistent in follow-through.
NationPress
29 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Sonali Shingte?
Sonali Shingte is the vice-captain of the Indian women's kabaddi team who won a gold medal at the Asian Games 2026. She is a Maharashtra-based athlete who met CM Devendra Fadnavis at Mantralaya on 29 September 2026.
Who is Aslam Inamdar?
Aslam Inamdar is an Indian men's kabaddi player and part of the gold-medal-winning squad at the Asian Games 2026. He accompanied Sonali Shingte to meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at Mantralaya, Mumbai.
Did India win gold in kabaddi at Asian Games 2026?
Yes, according to the Chief Minister's Office of Maharashtra, both the Indian men's and women's kabaddi teams won gold medals at the Asian Games 2026.
Where did the CM Fadnavis meeting with kabaddi players take place?
The meeting took place at Mantralaya, the state secretariat in Mumbai, on Tuesday, 29 September 2026.
What did CM Devendra Fadnavis say to the Asian Games gold medallists?
CM Fadnavis congratulated Sonali Shingte and Aslam Inamdar on their outstanding performances at the Asian Games 2026 and extended his best wishes for their future in sport.
