New Delhi, Oct. 4 -- India's sporting progress faced a reality check at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games as the country finished fourth but slipped from its record medal tally at Hangzhou. India won 85 medals, comprising 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze, 21 fewer medals and seven fewer golds than its 106-medal haul at the previous edition.

The result kept India among Asia's leading sporting nations, but also showed how difficult it will be to maintain momentum as the country targets a place among the world's top 10 sporting nations by 2036 and the top five by 2047.

China dominated the standings with 341 medals, including 169 golds. Japan finished second with 269 medals and 83 golds, while South Korea was third with 150 medals and 39 golds. India's fourth-place finish was secured only after a strong closing phase, with the country winning 11 gold medals in the final two days.

The biggest concerns came from shooting and athletics, two disciplines that had played major roles in India's success at Hangzhou.

Shooting produced 15 medals in Aichi-Nagoya, including three gold, eight silver and four bronze. This was a sharp decline from the seven gold, nine silver and six bronze medals won in Hangzhou.

India's campaign began with several missed opportunities. Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker endured a disappointing Games, while the Indian women failed to win a medal in the 10m air pistol. The men's 10m air pistol team of Kamaljeet, Aakash Bhardwaj and Kedarling Uchaganve also failed to convert expectations into medals.

The first gold came in the 10m air pistol mixed team event, where Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet prevailed. Neeru Dhanda then produced one of the standout performances of the shooting campaign.

The 27-year-old became the first Indian woman to win an individual Asian Games gold in trap shooting. She also won silver in the women's team event and partnered Kynan Chenai to gold in the mixed team competition.

Several Indian shooters, however, struggled to close out competitions after promising starts, particularly against China and South Korea. The results raised questions about consistency and performance under pressure.

Athletics also fell well short of its Hangzhou performance. India lost one of its leading medal hopes before the competition when javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra withdrew because of injury.

Tajinderpal Singh Toor could not complete a hat-trick of Asian Games gold medals. Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar and high jumper Sarvesh Kushare won silver, while Jyothi Yarraji withdrew from the 100m hurdles before her opening heat after suffering knee discomfort during the warm-up.

Avinash Sable, returning from a serious knee injury, finished fourth in the 3000m steeplechase. India's only athletics gold came in the women's 4x400m relay, where Kiran Pahal, M Poovamma, Prachi Choudhary and Vithya Ramraj won the title. India had won six athletics golds in Hangzhou.

Logistical difficulties also affected the campaign. Accommodation concerns, the lack of a dedicated Games village and transport delays disrupted routines for some athletes. Long journeys to venues and reduced recovery time added to the difficulties, although they do not fully explain the medal decline.

There were, however, important signs that India's sporting base is broadening.

Archery was among the biggest positives.

Teenager Kumkum Mohod became the first Indian to win an individual recurve gold at the Asian Games. India collected five gold, two silver and two bronze medals in archery, matching its total medal tally from Hangzhou.

The recurve team also won medals in all five events, including two golds, two silvers and a bronze, signalling growing competition for South Korea's long-standing dominance.

Wrestling contributed six medals, including two golds. Sujeet Kalkal and Aman Sehrawat defeated Olympic and world champions on their way to the top of the podium, while Greco-Roman wrestlers Nitesh Siwach and Sunil Kumar also won gold.

Tennis, in contrast, ended without a medal for India for the first time in 40 years.

Golf produced a historic result. Pranavi Urs became the first Indian woman to win an individual Asian Games golf gold. Pranavi, Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar also won silver in the women's team event, giving India its first women's team golf medal at the Games.

Boxing added three gold medals. Parveen Hooda returned from a 22-month suspension for whereabouts failures to win the women's 65kg title, while Lovlina Borgohain improved on her Hangzhou silver by winning gold.

Ankush Panghal also took gold in the men's 80kg category.

Hockey delivered another major success. India's women ended a 44-year wait for Asian Games gold by defeating defending champions China 1-0. Lalremsiami scored the only goal, while goalkeeper Bichu Devi and veteran Savita Punia played important roles.

The victory also secured direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. India's men retained their Asian Games title and also qualified directly for Los Angeles after beating Malaysia in the final.

Cricket provided another title defence. India's men defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the final, while the women had already won gold, giving India titles in both tournaments.

Aichi-Nagoya presented two contrasting pictures. Shooting and athletics exposed weaknesses in consistency, preparation and pressure management, while archery, wrestling, boxing, golf and hockey showed that India's medal base is expanding.

The 85-medal haul was below the record set at Hangzhou, but the campaign also produced new champions and historic achievements.

The challenge now is to turn those breakthroughs into sustained performances across more disciplines and ensure India's growing sporting potential is reflected more consistently in its medal count.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.