Asian Games 2023: India's march towards century in 21st Century

This edition of the continental showpiece has witnessed India record its best-ever medal tally.

Whenever there is a discussion concerning the medal tally at the Asian Games, undoubtedly China has consistently emerged as the frontrunner, leading the charts. At the ongoing Asian Games 2023 as well, China continues to assert its dominance, securing a remarkable tally of over 300 medals across various categories.

In recent years, India has made significant strides in the realm of sports, whether it is through incremental progress or a steady advancement. A compelling testament to India's progress can be witnessed at the ongoing Hangzhou Asian Games 2023.

By now, the Indian contingent has successfully secured a total of 86 medals, consisting of 21 gold medals, 32 silver and 33 bronze medals. However, the most significant achievement occurred when India clinched its 71st medal in the morning of October 4th, creating a new record.

What’s fascinating about the achievement?

At the previous edition of Asian Games that was held at Jakarta in 2018, the Indian contingent achieved a remarkable feat by securing a total of 70 medals. This included 16 gold, 23 silver and 31 bronze medals, setting a new record for India for the highest number of medals won in a single edition of the Asian Games.

In a remarkably short period, the athletes of our nation wasted no time in setting a new standard for themselves. At the subsequent edition of the event, they managed to exceed their previous achievement.

At the conclusion of Day 10 of the ongoing Asian Games 2023, the medal count for India reached a total of 69 medals. As the morning of the 11th day dawned, Indian race walkers Manju Rani and Ram Baboo secured a bronze medal in the 35km mixed race walk event, bringing the total to 70. Then the historic moment unfolded when archers Ojas Deotale and Jyothi Surekha Vennam clinched a gold medal in the mixed team event to make it 71.

Let us not overlook the fact that this remarkable collection of medals is attributable to the shooting and athletics delegations from India. The shooters concluded their campaign with an unprecedented display, earning a total of 22 medals, while the track and field athletes secured an impressive tally of 29 medals.

Will this lead to a landmark of 100 at Asian Games 2023?

Maybe yes, maybe no, but surely the medal haul has not concluded at this point. 10 additional entries have been appended to the list and with two more days remaining in the event, some more medals will surely be added to the existing tally.

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Notably, India achieved its most remarkable performance in terms of table rankings in the inaugural edition of the games, where they secured second place with an impressive tally of 15 gold, 16 silver, and 20 bronze medals. Although ending at the second position looks quite difficult as China with 333, Japan with 158 and Republic of Korea with 157 medals are way ahead of India, but holding on to the fourth position won’t be difficult.

With more events to follow, especially archery, athletics and wrestling, some significant strides in the medal tally can be surely expected from the Indian contingent. If the mark touches 100, that will be a huge achievement for the nation as well as the sports enthusiasts around the country.