High time to replicate Asiad’s glory in Olympics

India’s remarkable performance at the Hangzhou Asian Games marks a turning point in the nation’s sporting history.

For the first time, India has joined the elite club of countries with a triple-digit medal tally, which typically includes China, Japan, and Korea. While China’s 200 gold medals place them in a league of their own, India has taken a significant step forward by surmounting the psychological barrier of achieving over a hundred medals.

This historic achievement, with 107 medals in total (28 gold, 38 silver, and 41 bronze), has ignited a wave of euphoria across the nation, even overshadowing the commencement of the Men’s Cricket World Cup.

The diverse sources of these gold medals, spanning sports like track and field, shooting, and archery, highlight India’s growing excellence across multiple disciplines. Notably, athletics and shooting emerged as the nation’s strongest suits at these Games, with 29 and 22 medals, respectively.

However, it’s crucial to remember that while excelling at the Asian Games is a remarkable feat, replicating this level of success at the Olympic Games will require an entirely different level of planning and preparation. Each medal earned at the Asian Games now carries the weight of Olympic expectations.

Compound archery, despite its complete domination, isn’t an Olympic sport and is thus overlooked by medal-focused China. Sportspersons in rowing and boxing, while contributing five medals each, need to elevate their performance in pursuit of gold medals, especially with an eye on the Paris Games.

Wrestling has witnessed significant changes aimed at improving the safety of women wrestlers, and the absence of gold medal performances by top athletes like Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia necessitates a deeper evaluation of the system supporting Indian athletes.

Boxer Nikhat Zareen’s missed gold serves as a wake-up call to avoid complacency as Paris approaches. In golf, Aditi Ashok and the men’s badminton team narrowly missed gold but secured silver medals.

Nevertheless, Satwiksairaj Ranki Reddy and Chirag Shetty’s historic gold in men’s doubles and HS Prannoy’s hard-fought bronze brought a glimmer of hope to Indian sports fans.

When it comes to the global sporting elite, Indian athletes are still striving to match the performance of countries like the United States and eastern European nations in athletics. In disciplines such as shooting, they face stiff competition from China, making their Olympic journey even more challenging.

For instance, Annu Rani secured gold in women’s javelin, but the absence of Japan’s reigning world champion, Haruka Kitaguchi, raises questions about the true global standing of Indian athletes.

Distance runners like Parul Chaudhary and Avinash Sable, who each won two medals, will need to compete against the world’s best African athletes. The Indian government, the Sports Authority of India, and various state governments have introduced numerous initiatives to support athletes.

However, these efforts are constantly threatened by inefficient sports administrators, factionalism within sports federations, protracted legal battles, and the persistent issue of doping in Indian sports.

For Indian sports to continue its upward spiral and achieve international acclaim, it is imperative that these systemic issues are addressed and resolved before the Paris Olympics.

India’s outstanding performance at the Asian Games is undoubtedly a momentous achievement, symbolizing the country’s progress in the world of sports. As the nation celebrates its best-ever medal tally, it is imperative to channel this success toward preparing for the ultimate challenge – the Olympic Games in Paris.

With the right strategies, support, and commitment, India can continue to raise its sporting profile on the world stage and make the entire nation proud.