Asian Games 2023: Who are the medal contenders for India on Day 4, September 27?

The Indian contingent will look to add more medals on day 4 of the continental event.

It was a historic day at the Asian Games 2023, as India won their first gold medal in the Equestrian Dressage Team event after 41 years. The team comprising Anush Agarwalla, Hriday Chheda, Divyakriti Singh, Sudipti Hajela, and their respective horses dominated the event to be on the podium. With a combined score of 209.205, they were well ahead of the rest of their counterparts to ensure India's national anthem was played at the venue.

India got two more medals with a silver and a bronze from Sailing. Just 17 years of age, Neha Thakur won the silver medal in the girl's dinghy - ILCA4 event. The Indian sailor won one and finished second in two of the 11 races as part of the competition. Eabad Ali, the other Indian to bring smiles from the sea by bagging third place in the Men's Windsurfing RS:X event.

With athletes from multiple events producing medal-winning performances, India's dream of achieving 100 medals in this edition is well and truly on. Day 4 of the Asian Games 2023 promises nothing short of drama and medals from Indians. Here are some of the usual suspects.

Shooting

Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh, Rythym Sangwan – Women’s 25m Pistol (Individual & Team)

Indians lived up to the expectations in the Women's 25m Pistol event. Esha Singh started off in the first relay and she topped the charts with 292 in the precision round. Firing in the second relay, Manu Bhaker topped not only her Indian teammate but also the charts with a score of 294. India will be hoping that these two continue their good form to get medals in individual categories.

Also, the duo along with Rythym Sangwan are well in line to get a podium finish. The shooters will carry these points and it will be a Rapid round on Day 4.

Angad Bajwa, Gurjoat Khangura, Anant Naruka – Men’s Skeet-75 Shootgun (Individual & Team)

India were off to a shaky start in the first phase of the Men's Skeet-75 event. Angad Bajwa and Gurjoat Khangura started off with a 22/25 in the first round. But Anant Naruka stepped up the plate to score 25/25. He is in eighth place with 73/75. While he is in the hunt for an Individual medal, the 25-year-old from Jaipur would love to see his teammates replicate him for India to have a shot in the Team event.

With 209 points, India is in fifth place in the team standings, 11 points behind the leaders China. The remaining 50 targets will be held in this final phase and Indian shooters are capable of shooting most of them.

Darshana Rathore, Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Ganemat Sekhon – Women’s Skeet-75 Shotgun (Individual & Team)

It is a similar story in the Women's Skeet-75 event, as India stands fourth in team placings with a total of 201. If India can bring their A-game then we could see these three ladies on the dias. In the individual front, After 75 targets, Darshna Rathore is 7th with a score of 69, Parinaaz Dhaliwal (67) is 12th and Ganemat Sekhon (65) is 15th. Darshna would be hoping to repeat her performance from the ISSF World Cup this year.

Ashi Chouksey, Manini Kaushik, Sift Kaur Samara - 50m Rifle 3 Positions (Individual & Team)

Sport is wonderful because it provides opportunities to come back from a setback. That is what will be the thinking of Ashi Chouksey, Manini Kaushik, and Sift Kaur Samara when they represent India in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions event. The trio lost out on a bronze medal by just six points in the Baku World Championships last month. They would like to make amends by winning a medal at the Hangzhou games.

Chouksey has already done it in this edition when she won India's first medal in the Asian Games 2023 with a silver in the women's 10m Air Rifle Team event. Her experience will be key for India's chances.

Chess

Harika Dronavalli, Humpy Koneru - Women's Individual Vidit Gujarathi, Arjun Erigaisi - Men's Individual

Another sport which could bring glory to India is the sport which is known to have originated in India, the Chess. In the Men's event, Vidit Gujarathi was at the top spot till round six before losing out to China's Yei Wi. The difference between the two is 0.5 which the Indian grandmaster can overcome. Arjun Erigaisi at sixth in the table is also a contender for the medal.

In the women's Rapid event, Humpy Koneru and Harika Dronavalli played out two draws at the end of the day as they stand in 7th and 8th position in the points table. India could expect some laurels from the sport, which was the case in the last month.