New Delhi, Oct. 4 -- India's 2026 Asian Games campaign produced medals from several established names, but the 85-medal haul also included a number of athletes who entered the year without the same level of attention as the country's headline medal contenders.

They weren't medal favourites ahead of the Asian Games, but they still managed to put up a brilliant display and clinch medals for India.

Their performances in Aichi-Nagoya brought them into the spotlight, with some also creating firsts for Indian sport.

Seema Kumari emerged as one of India's most significant distance-running stories in Nagoya. The long-distance runner from Himachal Pradesh won bronze in the women's 10,000m, clocking 32:50.05.

The race was tactical, with Seema s...