Revisiting India's top 10 moments at Asian Games 2022
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India won a record 106 medals in Hangzhou 2022.
The 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, marked a defining chapter in Indian sports history. The ambitious rallying cry “Iss baar, 100 paar” (This time, cross 100) was ultimately realised, with the Indian contingent returning with a historic haul of 106 medals — 28 gold, 38 silver and 40 bronze.
That landmark performance has set a new benchmark for Indian sport and will inspire the contingent competing in Aichi-Nagoya.
India’s top 10 moments at 2022 Hangzhou Games
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1. The Elusive 100-medal mark
Before Hangzhou, India’s highest Asian Games medal tally was 70, achieved at Jakarta 2018. Breaking the triple-figure barrier had long seemed a distant ambition, but on October 7, 2023, India finally emphatically crossed the 100-medal mark.
The historic achievement marked a significant milestone for Indian sport, placing the country among the continent’s leading sporting nations and raising the benchmark for future Asian Games campaigns.
2. Neeraj Chopra and Kishore Jena’s show in javelin throw finish
The men’s javelin final was a moment for Indian fans. After bizarre technical glitches disrupted Neeraj Chopra‘s opening throw, compatriot Kishore Kumar Jena seized the opportunity, producing a massive personal best of 86.77m to lead briefly.
Chopra had to give it his all and produced a season-best throw of 88.88 meters to retain his gold medal, while Jena won silver.
3. Satwik-Chirag ends the badminton gold drought
India had never won an Asian Games gold medal in badminton before. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty emphatically changed that, dominating the men’s doubles draw before defeating South Korea’s Choi Sol-gyu and Kim Won-ho in straight games to claim a historic gold.
Their historic triumph in the final set up their status as the world’s top-ranked pair and ended a 41-year wait for an Indian finalist in the discipline.
Related: A look at India’s medal winners at Asian Games 2022
4. Men’s hockey reclaiming continental dominance
Under head coach Craig Fulton and captain Harmanpreet Singh, the Indian men’s hockey team produced one of their most ruthless tournaments in recent memory. After scoring 58 goals through the preliminary rounds, India dismantled defending champions Japan 5-1 in the final.
The victory not only restored their continental gold but also guaranteed automatic qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
5. Parul Chaudhary’s last-gasp 5,000m dash
Less than 24 hours after winning silver in the 3,000m steeplechase, distance runner Parul Chaudhary delivered one of the most thrilling finishes on the track.
Trailing Japan’s Ririka Hironaka heading into the final bend of the women’s 5,000m, Chaudhary powered herself into second place. In the final 30 metres, she summoned an astonishing burst of speed, lunging across the finish line to secure gold by just 0.23 seconds.
6. Compound archery: A clean sweep of perfection
India’s compound archers achieved something unprecedented: winning all five available gold medals. Jyothi Surekha Vennam and 21-year-old Ojas Pravin Deotale completed rare hat-tricks of gold, finishing atop the podium in their individual, mixed-team, and respective men’s and women’s team events.
This clean sweep ended decades of South Korean supremacy in continental archery.
7. Avinash Sable’s record-breaking steeplechase run
Long-distance specialist Avinash Sable scripted history, becoming the first Indian man to win Asian Games gold in the 3,000m steeplechase. Taking the lead from the gun, Sable imposed an aggressive pace that quickly stretched the field, opening a decisive gap over the chasing pack by the second lap.
He eventually crossed the finish line in an Asian Games record time of 8:19.50, securing the gold medal by a commanding margin of nearly four seconds.
Related: A glimpse of PV Sindhu’s campaign at Asian Games 2022
8. Mukherjee pair stun the Chinese world champions
In a sport traditionally dominated by China, Indian table tennis duo Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee produced one of the tournament’s biggest upsets.
In the women’s doubles quarter-finals, the unseeded Indian pair defeated China’s reigning world champions Chen Meng and Wang Yidi 3-1 in their home arena. The victory secured India’s first-ever women’s doubles medal at the Asian Games.
9. Equestrian team strikes gold after 41 years
In one of the most unexpected triumphs of the Games, India’s dressage team — comprising Anush Agarwalla, Hriday Vipul Chheda, Divyakriti Singh, and Sudipti Hajela — clinched the team gold medal.
Finishing with an overall score of 209.205, the quartet edged out traditional powerhouses China and Saudi Arabia, securing India’s first equestrian Asian Games gold since the 1982 New Delhi Games.
10. Abhay Singh’s high-stakes squash comeback
The men’s team squash final pitted arch-rivals India and Pakistan against each other in a deciding rubber. The match was tied at 1-1, and in the deciding game, India’s Abhay Singh was trailing Pakistan’s Noor Zaman 8-10, facing the threat of two match points.
Showing nerves of steel, Singh saved both championship points before reeling off four consecutive winners to steal the gold 12-10, sparking emotional celebrations on the court.
How many medals did India win at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2022?
India won a historic 106 medals at Hangzhou 2022, including 28 gold, 38 silver, and 40 bronze, crossing the 100-medal mark for the first time.
What was India’s biggest badminton achievement at Hangzhou 2022?
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won India’s first-ever Asian Games badminton gold, defeating South Korea’s Choi Sol-gyu and Kim Won-ho in the men’s doubles final.
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