ACHIEVEMENTS over the past two weeks in the world’s second biggest multi-sport event matched India’s aspirations and set the country on a road that appears far more promising than the path it has been on for decades.
The best-ever haul at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta is a leap forward for Indian sport after the Commonwealth Games medal spurt.
In pursuit of excellence in the sporting arena and creating a niche for itself, India has never had it so good in the continental showpiece that is considered next only to the Olympic Games.
Even as the medallists come back with a feeling of accomplishment from Jakarta and Palembang, the surge in podium finishes could trigger new passion for Olympic sports in a country so obsessed with cricket.
From teenager Saurabh Chaudhary to 60-year-old Pranab Bardhan, an assortment of athletes combined to produce a top show despite
the country enduring shocking results in kabaddi and hockey.
With 15 golds, 24 silvers and 30 bronzes, India’s medal tally stood at 69, a step up from Incheon four years ago when they won 65.
India equalled the 15-gold tally of the 1951 inaugural Games but the country had never won 24 silvers before. Overall, India maintained its top-10 rank by finishing eighth again.
Every multi-sporting event has witnessed controversies and it was no different this time too. However, once the action began, it was
only the athletes and their performances that took centre stage.
Track and field remained the most productive area for India as seven of the 15 golds came at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.
It was the burly Tejinder Pal Singh Toor who delivered the first athletics gold with a recordbreaking shot put throw of 20.75m, and later 12-toed Swapna Barman entered the history books by becoming the country’s first heptathlete to grab a yellow metal at the Games.
Dutee Chand returned to the track with a bang. She ended up blazing the track for two silver medals, the one in the 100m being India’s
first in 20 years.
If it was not for superior Africa-origin athletes representing countries such as Qatar and Bahrain on the track, India’s gold count would have been even bigger.
It was purely for this reason that Hima Das had to be content with a silver in the 200m as she ran alongside Nigerian-born Salwa Eid Naser.
Neeraj Chopra expectedly achieved a super result by becoming the first Indian to win a gold in the javelin, and sprinters Manjit Singh and Jinson Johnson also changed a few statistics with their courageous show.
India’s badminton queens Saina Nehwal and P V Sindhu continued to deliver the goods and ensured that the country’s 36-year-old wait for an individual medal ended.
Sindhu’s silver and Saina’s bronze were among the highlights of India’s campaign along with the table tennis players’ two historic
bronzes in team events.
Manika Batra was without doubt the biggest star of India’s Commonwealth Games show in the Gold Coast, but in Jakarta winning two bronzes in team events by competing against powerhouses like China and Japan was no mean feat. Batra, Sharath Kamal, G Sathian and Harmeet Desai deserve applause for their efforts.
In Palembang, 16-year-old Chaudhary and 15-year old Shardul Vihan showed that India has a depth in talent. The other youngsters Manu Bhaker and Anish Bhanwala will be disappointed at not winning a medal though.
Saurabh was one of the two gold medallists along with Rani Sarnobat, while Shardul won a fine silver.
Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat performed as if they owned the mat, winning gold medals with sheer domination. But veteran Sushil Kumar and Salshi Malik suffered shock disappointments.
While there were many moments to rejoice, India’s performance in kabaddi and hockey disappointed the fans.
Bridge buddies Bardhan and Shibnath Dey Sarkar won gold in the men’s pairs and urged fans to not equate their sport with gambling,
saying it’s a game of intellect.
A gritty Amit Panghal ensured that a gold medal came from the boxing arena too, the Army man swelling India’s tally with a stunning win over the reigning Olympic champion on the penultimate day of the competition.
The recurve archers disappointed with their lacklustre show but their compound teammates made sure that the contingent did not
return empty-handed.
In kabaddi, Iran jolted India twice by taking both the men’s and women’s top prize. It came as a shock as India went into the Games as the continent’s powerhouse, having won all nine gold medals in the past.
The men’s and women’s hockey teams being the top-ranked in Asia were also expected to stand on top of the podium, but a silver and
bronze was all they could manage.
By scoring more than 70 goals in the pool games, India’s men’s hockey team looked unstoppable before they were halted by Malaysia.
The defence choked in the crucial last two minutes and they eventually lost their semi-final in sudden death. The team took a bronze by beating Pakistan.
The women’s team lost in the final to Japan, who claimed both the gold medals.
The positives far outweigh the disappointments, and the many firsts and national records that were broken during the Games provides hope for a bright future. (PTI)
Lewis Hamilton topped FP1 and finished third in FP2Getty Images
