Asiad ’26: Leaner Indian contingent produces fewer golds but better return-per-medal

India’s medal tally fell from 106 at the Hangzhou Asian Games to 85 at Aichi-Nagoya, but the contingent was also 25% smaller. The deeper comparison reveals a more nuanced picture: improved medals-per-athlete efficiency, an unchanged gold yield, and a striking dependence on the final two days.