The nation’s sports activities women and men collected 28 golds amongst 107 placings on the world’s second largest multi-sporting occasion
The Indian contingent on the recently-concluded Asian Games got here in for some excessive reward from the nation’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
At the Asiad held in Hangzhou, China since mid-September, India’s athletes received an unprecedented haul of 107 medals that included 28 gold, 38 silver, and 41 bronze, marking the primary time that the nation crossed the three-figure milestone on the video games.
“The entire nation is overjoyed that our incredible athletes have brought home the highest ever total of 107 medals, the best ever performance in the last 60 years,” Modi posted on X (previously Twitter).
“The unwavering determination, relentless spirit, and hard work of our players have made the nation proud. Their victories have given us moments to remember, inspired us all, and have reaffirmed our commitment to excellence,” the PM added.
Notably, the Indian contingent in attendance, comprising 655 athletes competing in 41 disciplines, was the most important ever within the historical past of the Asian Games. At the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, India had despatched 570 athletes and returned with 70 medals, together with a haul of 16 gold medals. It remained India’s greatest medal haul till the 2023 Hangzhou Asiad.
India’s Sports Minister Anurag Thakur just lately hailed the Asian Games as a “turning point” for the nation, crediting the file general efficiency on strong sports activities infrastructure developed, he stated, by the Modi-led authorities. “The 107 medals tally, the highest in 60 years, is not just a historic feat but a turning point in Indian sports,” Thakur informed The New Indian Express. He paid tribute to the “hard work and determination” of the athletes in successful medals for his or her nation and likewise praised India’s “holistic sports ecosystem.”
At the 2023 video games, the Indian shooters had been a significant revelation, returning residence with seven gold medals, essentially the most gold medals received by India. Four of their golds got here with world data. Neeraj Chopra, the nation’s lone gold medalist on the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, additionally did not disappoint at Hangzhou, strolling away with the gold after launching a season-best throw of 88.88 meters. Kishore Jena, who threw a private better of 87.54 meters, took residence the silver.
India topped the medal desk in 4 totally different occasions – archery, cricket, kabaddi and hockey.
Hosts China accomplished the Asiad with a file 201 gold medals, earlier than handing over the reins to Japan for the 2026 video games. With about 12,000 athletes in whole, the Hangzhou video games had been the most important Asian Games within the historical past of the occasion.
(RT.com)