India’s 655-strong contingent competing in 41 sporting disciplines has delivered a standout performance at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. Besides the standard fare at such events, two new medal sports made their debut, notably eSports and breakdancing. Cricket and board games such as Go, Xiangpi, and chess also featured in the ongoing Asiad. The good news is that the winning feeling has returned to its participation in such sporting events, especially track and field, which could trigger an athletics renaissance in the country. Although an aspirational aim was set to capture 100 medals, India has garnered the highest ever medal haul at Hangzhou, surpassing the previous high of 70 medals in the Asian Games at Jakarta in 2018. The country’s shooters and archers grabbed a rich haul and struck gold in the equestrian dressage team event. Perhaps the big disappointment was in boxing, in which our pugilists managed only a silver and several bronzes, considering their tremendous talent and technique. India has regained its erstwhile supremacy in its traditional bastion of hockey, considering the thrashing the men’s team gave to Pakistan, Bangladesh, and South Korea enroute to the finals. All of this augurs well for a much better showing at the Olympics and World Championships.
India’s superlative performance at Hangzhou was spearheaded by track and field, which really is the core discipline in such sporting events. The haul of 29 medals, including six golds, surpassed the tally of 20 registered in Jakarta. At Hangzhou, both men and women athletes of the 68-strong contingent delivered on the big stage. For the first time since 1974, India struck silver in the men’s decathlon. While the focus was on a sure gold in men’s javelin, the surprise was also a silver and a gold in women’s javelin. In the men’s 3,000 meters steeplechase event, the winner led from the front and smashed the games record. He creditably managed a silver medal in the 5,000 meters race. In the same events for women, India got a silver and bronze and gold respectively. In the 5,000 meters event, the winner ran tactically the most brilliant race at Hangzhou, hanging behind for the most part and slowly gathering pace before accelerating in the last 50 meters to breast the tape.
Two male athletes successfully defended their titles in shot put and javelin. Not to be left behind, a woman athlete registered her third medal in discus after winning gold in 2014 and bronze in 2018. As Indian athletics is at an inflection point, the big question is what is to be done to ensure that athletes can excel to world-class standards. A mission-mode drive is already in place with the flagship Khelo India scheme—together with help from India Inc—to pick potential stars from catchment areas extending to the nooks and crannies of rural and small-town India.
Allocations must be stepped up manifold to provide state-of-the-art training and coaching. There is a warrant for taking best practices like the lottery-funded UK Sport which works with partner sporting organisations to lead sport in the country to world-class success. An aspirational objective must be to develop sprinters who can one day challenge the dominance of Jamaicans and Africans in middle and long-distance running. Post-Asiad, India must ensure that its sportspersons keep up the momentum in winning in track and field in future events.