Nagoya, Sept. 20 -- In 18 appearances at the Asian Games, Nepal's tally stands at 26 medals-23 bronze, three silver and zero gold.

When the 20th Asian Games officially opened in Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday, 40 of the 135-member Nepali contingent from 21 sports marched into the Paloma Mizuho Stadium behind flag-bearers Chandra Bahadur Thapa and Manmati Bist with an audacious goal: reach double-digit medals and bring home the country's first-ever gold from the continental flagship event.

It is a dream born out of both desperation and design.

Two decades ago, at the 15th Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, in 2006, taekwondoins Deepak Bista, Ayasha Shakya and Manita Shahi secured three bronze medals for Nepal. At the time, karate legend Deepak Shr...