Hangzhou Asiad 2023 has proved an eye-opener

“This time around, we will cross 100 (medals)” was the inspirational call on the eve of the Indian contingent’s departure for the Hangzhou Asian Games. Indeed, it proved more than inspirational as history was made in China city with India garnering 107 medals in all, including 28 gold medals for its best-ever performance in an international sports programme. The effort even bettered the 101 medals, the best ever, by the country in the 2010 Commonwealth Games. It was 70 at the last Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018, and the jump this time, simply put, has been phenomenal. Perhaps an indication that the giant in Asia is finally waking up to the promise of greater sporting deeds ahead! There is still a long way to go though, but, as they say, better late than never.

Fourth on the medal tally, India may be much behind the top three _China, Japan and Korea. China, in fact, has a gold medal tally, which itself is almost double of India’s total medals collection. But all that can be set aside for now for what matters is the way India approached the Games this time. The earnestness to perform well, amazing resilience shown, the struggle to succeed and willingness to put the best foot forward, everything displayed a new thinking, one free from self-enforced shackles, that had characterised the overall participation earlier.  Perhaps one of the most touching stories of an inspirational journey has to be that of Parul Choudhary, the Meerut girl whose lion-hearted effort brought her a double _ a gold in 5000 m and a silver in 3000m steeplechase. The 5000 m race in itself symbolised the defining moment of India’s record-making effort in this Games. 

A gold medallist in the 3000 m steeplechase in the Asian Championship held in Bangkok in August this year, Parul had taken silver in this event earlier and seemed for another in the 5000 m held on the next day. Tired this gritty runner had trailed for most part of the race behind Japan’s Ririka Hironaka but with just about 25 m to go, suddenly found that burst of energy for that last-ditch swing of fortunes. A dream had turned into a reality in a most amazing way and in a way that signified the approach of this new look in India. A moment of rare enterprise leading to ecstasy and all-around jubilation. 

Like Parul, every medal-winning athlete must have had a background of struggle and aspiration for better times and for which each believed nothing was insurmountable or impossible. Consider the top hurdler Jyothi Yarraji, who hailed from a low-income group family, but hard work brought her to this Asian arena. In her first major international event, she won a silver medal in the 100 m hurdles, but here again, look at the experience she had! Jyothi and a Chinese competitor, Yannu Wu, were disqualified for what the officials claimed was a ‘false start’. Protests followed even as Jyothi was almost devastated for she reckoned her start was perfect. Both these competitors were then allowed to run pending post-race review and decision. As it turned out, she was placed third, but as it happened, the Chinese were disqualified, and the Indian earned the silver! 

But the man who certainly had risen to give his countrymen hope like none else had to be Neeraj Chopra, now a world-recognised icon in the field of javelin throw. The Haryana man too emerged from a humble setting, and sheer fixity of purpose in what he did saw him chase his goal with the mind of an achiever. Look where he had reached so much so at Hangzhou, everybody knew, barring the unexpected, none would stop him from regaining his premier position. Neeraj showcased his huge talent with his gold-medal-winning ability four years ago in Jakarta. There started the journey for this young man who is now both Olympic and world champion. Talk of inspiration, and here was the performer, who it can be said made the javelin event in Hangzhou a rare one-two with another Indian Kishore Jena, close on his heels.

As said earlier, this has been a Game which has produced success stories aplenty for India. Shooting, athletics, archery, squash, wrestling and rowing were among the bulk contributors of medals. Talk of hockey, and look how the men achieved the goal of an Olympic berth for Paris 2024 with a gold-medal win! Such was the mental framework of this Craig Fulton-trained outfit, the Asia Cup champions, that they looked unstoppable in Hangzhou. In all, they scored 63 goals, including the 10-2 winning margin over arch-rival Pakistan, en route to the gold medal. It had to be the most outstanding show by the men’s hockey team in a long time. Badminton had a similar high to reflect in the form of the irrepressible duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who brought the first-ever gold for India in this discipline in the Games. Talk of mental strength and the ability to stand up to the stiffest opposition and Indians Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee come to the fore with their stunning win over world champions Chen Meng and Yidi Wang of China en route to a first-ever bronze medal in table tennis.

Whichever way one looks at it, Hangzhou 2023 has proved an eye-opener for Indian sports. Where near misses and nerves highlighted the failures that often were the accounts of major sports programmes, this has been a significant departure. A three-figure mark in medals is in itself something to talk about as is the reality of finishing in the top-four overall. Now the tougher test awaits in France next year in the Olympics. The government’s encouragement has begun to show, particularly in the Target Olympic Podium scheme. Over 100 athletes from this TOPS programme were present in China, and a good chunk ended up winning medals. The signs are encouraging. Only time will tell.