The Asian Games 2023 gave India’s ascent in the world of sports a new seal of approval. With four and a half days of competition remaining at the 19th edition of the Games in Hangzhou, the Indian delegation surpassed its previous peak in terms of medal total. Their previous best was at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, where they won 70 medals. By winning two more medals during the first half of the day on Wednesday in the current edition, they increased their overall medal total to 71.
India comfortably held onto fourth place at the end of Day 10 with 69 medals, and it didn’t take long for them to match their Jakarta total on Day 11. The mixed team 35km race walk competition was the first event of the day, and Ram Baboo and Manju Rani took home bronze. Their time to completion was 5:51:14. China won the gold medal (5:16:41), while Japan finished second and earned the silver (5:22:11). India equaled its best-ever achievement at the Asian Games with this historic bronze medal in the race walk.
A little over an hour later, the archers’ magnificent performance helped make the current Hangzhou Games the best-ever for India. After defeating Chaewon So and Jaehoon Joo of South Korea 159-158 in the compound archery mixed team competition, Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Pravin Ojas Deotale took home the gold medal. In this round of the Games, this was India’s first gold in the sport of archery, making it a particularly noteworthy achievement. It brought India’s total medal count at the Games to 71, which is a record high. It also brought them even closer to their highest-ever gold medal total. India has already won 16 gold medals, matching their total from five years ago in Jakarta.
In this Asian Games, India has so far taken home 16 gold medals, 26 silver medals, and 29 bronze medals.
The gold medals won by Jyothi and Deotal also made this the best-ever Games for Indian archers. Three medals in archery in 2014 in Incheon represented their best-ever performance. India has already secured four medals in the 19th Games. In the individual archery events, they have three additional medals confirmed, two of which might be gold. These two competitions’ finals will happen later.
Additional medals are assured, but can India reach 100?
With two certain medals in the squash doubles competition and two more from boxing, India will undoubtedly finish with 78 medals, even if they are unable to place on any other podiums.
India’s best-ever Asian Games campaign has been largely attributed to the shooting and athletics teams. Including the final of the javelin throw by Neeraj Chopra in the track and field, India has won 22 medals in shooting and 23 in athletics so far.
India is now in fourth place in the medal standings, trailing only China, Japan, and South Korea, all of whom have amassed over 100 medals. China is actually getting close to 300.
Notably, India finished second in the rankings during the first Asian Games in New Delhi with 15 gold medals, 16 silver medals, and 20 bronze medals, giving them their highest-ever placing.
India might realistically hope to win more than 90 medals at the Hangzhou Games with wrestling, hockey (men and women), men’s cricket, badminton (singles and doubles), squash (doubles), boxing, kabaddi (men and women), and athletics remaining to be completed.
