India has won a record tally of 107 medals including 35 golds in the Hangzhou Asian Games. India’s previous best in the mega event was at 2018 Jakarta -70 medals with 16 golds.
In the closing ceremony on Sunday, India’s march will flag with many positives. Team medals in shooting indicate a new depth of talent for India. Moreover, gain in compound archery is good news since the event is likely to be included in the Olympics. The track-and-field domination, the mother sport, added to India’s image as a growing sporting nation.
Though an Asiad performance doesn’t translate into a medal rush at the Paris Olympics next year, it doesn’t detract India’s sporting consistency. The world certainly woke up to India’s sporting potential after Neeraj Chopra’s gold at Tokyo Olympics two years ago. Now, a brilliant performance in the Asian Games has added more power to its stature.
One of the big reasons behind India’s rise as a sporting power is the steady rise of in government funding of the Olympic disciplines, primarily under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). With no scarcity of financial resources, the quality of coaches, sports science experts and exposure trips abroad, all have added up to the improvement of Indian sports and sportspersons.