New Delhi, Oct. 3 -- Congratulations and celebrations. Well done, Indian athletes; you have shown courage, grit and tenacity. To do well in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, at the Asian Games is a tribute to your skills, inner will and strong mind control. Before anyone jumps upon reading these first few lines, do not talk of the medal tally before the Hangzhou, China, Asian Games in 2023.
Sample the variety of medals India has won in Nagoya, a pathetic port city in a First World country. Sitting in the comfort of a drawing room and watching the action unfold on television in India, one does not get a clear picture of how hard it was there. Every imaginable kind of problem was there in the host city, debunking the belief that Japan could put on a show where economy as hosts meant compromising big time with the delivery of the Games.
To each Indian athlete who has won a medal at the Asian Games in Nagoya, with women ruling the roost, you faced immense hardships. First, the star parade of medal winners for India, where the girls showed mettle. The transport facilities were a nightmare, and scheduling in badminton was chaos, which PV Sindhu has talked of.
I will narrate my own story of how the Organising Committee in Nagoya messed up my media accreditation card. Today is the closing ceremony, and my media badge for Millennium Post is yet to come. Efforts to get a visa for Japan were also futile, so much for the help from the Embassy in New Delhi.
Flummoxed and left with no other options, I had to watch all the action on TV and cell phone handsets and track scores/results on the website. The shooting venue at the Asian Games was a stinking place, far away from the city. Such has been the nightmare for shooters, officials, coaches and the media who dared to go to Nagoya; the hassles were unlimited. Five hours of total travel time, up and down, was crazy. There were instances when the official bus packed up or met with an accident.
On Friday, the women's hockey final started an hour late as a road accident delayed traffic flow. Can you believe it? If such a thing had happened in New Delhi, the global media would have erupted!
Never mind, congratulations to the hockey girls for producing that golden glow, finally, after 44 years. Pluck and poise, with coach Sjoerd Marijne showing, again, he could optimise performance from the 'Bharat Ki Shernis', India won gold. It was a team effort for sure, though special credit for goalkeeper Savita Punia is in place. From here to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, it's going to be a joy as preparations can be planned well, with automatic qualification achieved. What needs to be done urgently is that Hockey India's dirty politics has to end. An official like Bholanath Singh, the secretary, must be thrown out. He faces serious charges of 'harassment' and is under probe. Add to it a director general who has bungled; Hockey India needs good people at the helm with President Dilip Tirkey.
How does one capture the fortnight-long highs, even though the gold medal tally was less compared to Hangzhou? For sure, the variety of medals won this time was brilliant. Imagine, a young archer, just 17, was on fire. Kumkum Anil Mohod winning a gold in the recurve event was path-breaking. Not only the medal, but to book a berth for the LA Olympics is great.
My good friend, Virendra Sachdeva, who is the Secretary General of the Archery Association of India, has been working tirelessly. For those who say 'netas' should not be office-bearers in national sports federations, Sachdeva has worked really hard for decades. Archery is his passion, and how the boys and girls peaked this time is a great story. To mention each name would be in order, but for the sheer burst of brilliance, the 17-year-old Kumkum from Amravati, Maharashtra, has been sensational. How she stayed calm is a lesson in how, today, India's young athletes are fearless on the big stage.
If one mentions the names of Chikitha Taniparthi, Jyothi Surekha Vennam and more, they have also been consistent in hitting the bull's-eye with the bow and arrow. How does one not mention the name of Dhiraj Bommadevara, a true Arjuna with bow and arrow? Overall, five gold, two silver and two bronze medals won in archery in Nagoya need to be celebrated.
Move to the golfing greens, and Pranavi Sharath Urs, 23, from Mysuru, smashed the field. A well-known pro, how she won gold on Saturday is a delight. She had a triple bogey in the final round on the last day and then came back. To rub shoulders with World No. 6 Ruoning Yin and get the better of her will be talked of for a long time. How Pranavi peaked and also featured in a team medal with Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar is a good story. After all, Aditi and Diksha have been around for so long.
If one mentions boxing, the weight of punches inside the ring was heavy. Lovlina Borgohain, the quiet girl from Assam, channelising her inner energy, is fascinating. Lovlina is a quiet, simple girl. Having moved to the higher weight category of 75kg, the cherubic lass has strived hard for perfection. At the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Lovlina was off-colour. She had told this writer in July that her aim would be to do well in the Asian Games.
What a way she has landed gold, all with authority. Just to remind readers, in Glasgow, Lovlina had been smart in flagging to an Indian restaurant how a distorted India map hurt her. She spoke about it and earned praise, even from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After all, the North East states in India are very special. Yes, Lovlina wears patriotism on her shoulders. On a day Lovlina was celebrating her 29th birthday, this gold medal should serve as a booster for the next Olympic cycle. Add the medals of Parveen Hooda and Ankush Pangal in boxing, and the campaign has been one of intensity at the Asian Games.
A bit of context: there has been some negativity surrounding the Boxing Federation of India since 2025. President Ajay Singh and his team are firm; they will take on even Sarkari Babus. Perhaps, the time has come when the independence of national sports federations needs to be respected.
In wrestling, the gold medal won by Sujeet Kalkal is defining. Competing in the 65kg weight category, Sujeet was ready to wrestle with josh. Later, in media interactions, he spoke of how positivity in the sport, again, is important. Since the time street protests broke out at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar in 2023, wrestling has been under a cloud. It is pertinent to mention that people got carried away by recalcitrant Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia. In that period, many genuine wrestlers suffered. Sujeet has spoken about it well.
Nitesh Siwach is another path-breaker. India does not have a great tradition where Greco-Roman wrestlers have won important medals. Nitesh won gold in the 97kg weight section, which is big. The last medal in this event came for India at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta.
How India fared in track and field, minus superstar Neeraj Chopra, is important. Neeraj was absent due to an ankle injury, but for two more javelin exponents, Yashvir Singh and Neeraj Yadav, to win silver and bronze is a sign of future stars already being there. Surely, Neeraj has shown the way in javelin.
Overall, India won 24 medals - one gold, nine silver and 14 bronze - from the athletics arena. Indeed, the name of Vithya Ramraj, the 400m runner, is now well-known. To feature in two relays and the 400m hurdles and break PT Usha's old record, dating back to the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, has made people sit up. Daughter of a truck driver, Vithya dreams big. She wants to go below 54 seconds in the 400m hurdles. Can she improve? Can she go for glory at the LA Olympics? We will watch, and so will PT Usha.
If Vithya was all smiles, quiet Gulveer Singh went about his task of winning three medals in Nagoya with calmness. The Armyman is quiet and does not speak much. How much he has gained by training abroad in Colorado Springs, USA, has become evident. To win two medals at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and bounce back in Nagoya, he defines consistency.
India may be less than happy with the performances in shooting. But then, despite the fewer medals won, Neeru Dhanda showed a large heart and appetite. Mentored by Mansher Singh, a seasoned pro, Neeru won a historic gold medal in trap shooting for women, a first, and then garnered two more medals. Hailing from Haryana, how Neeru fought a bad bout of flu in New Delhi, flew out and surged ahead is now part of folklore. Watch out for her at the closing ceremony tonight, as she will be the flag-bearer. Indian shooting does need to reflect on why it did badly in pistol and rifle events. Some of the coaches are repeat failures and must be educated.
Can India feel happy or look at where medals were lost? Definitely, there is scope for improvement. Tennis, badminton and a few more disciplines did not do well. And why the Indian Government sent so many fencing athletes is the butt of ridicule. It is important that the policymakers in Indian sports are objective. As it were, national sports federations are made to feel redundant. The control freaks must pause and ponder.
To top the golden campaign, India's men won the gold medal in cricket. To punch the tricky Pakistanis, again, in the T20 format is satisfying! It is also a reminder that hype over India versus Pakistan is a thing of the past. And the best part: Mohsin Naqvi, President of the Asian Cricket Council, was asked to stay away. No handshake between India and Pakistan; treat it as the new normal.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.