India, Oct. 6 -- In July 2026, India categorically decided that the Asian Games would not be treated as an exposure tour. The idea was that the contingent would be filled with medal prospects, rather than athleteswho met the qualification quota but didn't reallyhave a genuine shot at a podium finish. So, whileIndia cut the size of its contingent by more than15% - 495 athletes in Aichi-Nagoya compared to661 athletes in Hangzhou - the 85 medals won (second-highest ever Asiad medal tally after Hangzhou) show that the country is on the rightpath. Massive contingents do not necessarily leadto more medals; depth and specialisation do. The other big takeaway is that, to strengthen its chances both at the Asian and Olympic levels, India must continue to focus on its core sports: archery, boxing, hockey, shooting, badminton and wrestling. The others need attention, but not as priority sports. Of course, there can always be an outlier like Neeraj Chopra. In these core sports, India has depth, which leads to internal competition that tempers the athletes even before they start battling on the international stage. It hones the kind of instincts that breed medals. At the Olympics, India has won 41 medals over the years. The sports that have contributed to this tally - apart from the heroics from Neeraj Chopra and weightlifters Karnam Malleswari and Mirabai Chanu - are field hockey, shooting, wrestling, badminton and boxing. India's next goal must be to find a way to double down and maximise these returns. Treat this sharpened focus as a short-term strategy for the current Olympic cycle. The bigger picture matters, and every athlete deserves a shot, but to inspire the next generation, India need medals, medallists, and images of the Tricolour rising behind the podium....