New Delhi, Sept. 26 -- Everyone on social media lambasting India for winning a lesser number of gold medals at the ongoing Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, in comparison with China is ignorant of sports. Yes, this time, India are headed towards a lower gold tally, but that does not mean it is all doom for a nation which is still striving to work its way up the ladder called the medal tally.
It was disheartening to see a post on X from even legend Vijender Singh, who won a bronze medal for India at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Pugilist Vijender knows how tough it is to win medals at the two biggest extravaganzas of multi-sport, the Olympics and the Asian Games. How Vijender could even make a rough comparison in the gold tally between India and China is a no-brainer. Yes, even in comparison with Thailand and Kazakhstan, India are lower down in the gold tally. Please accept it, quiet please.
Does that mean India, as a nation, is not trying? A few facts need to be placed on record. We are still a cricket-loving nation, and even the TV commentators who air their views will not know what all Suruchi Singh Phogat and Kamaljeet have done to get this far. Their gold medal in the air pistol mixed event was a surprise if you do not know the sport. If you know the sport, the duo are well-versed in the nuances of pistol shooting.
To be sure, the find of Indian shooting in the last two years is Suruchi, who also hails from Haryana. That she has snaked up the ladder in the face of fierce competition at home is good. To have begun at the Nationals, won medals, then represented India at the ISSF World Cups and then won this big medal is peaking at the right time.
Sadly, this is a 'spot' which should have been grabbed by Manu Bhaker, who made it to the air pistol and sports pistol teams but was not considered a good bet for the mixed event. It tells you that, in Indian shooting, there are no points for just being a star. After all, Manu had won a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics in tandem with Sarabjot Singh. Sarabjot, too, is out of Team India! He will also bounce back.
Yes, Indian pistol shooting results in air have been below par. But that does not mean all is wrong. I will strongly argue that coaches Ronak Pandit and Samresh Jung are undeserving choices. They have been around for a long time and not delivered. To place it in context, when Manu Bhaker said she missed 'Jaspal Sir' after the meltdown in the air pistol final, where she failed to win a medal in Nagoya, it was an emotional breakdown. For those who wanted proof that Manu still respects Jaspal Rana, her tears are an answer. This writer has written exhaustively on how Manu and Jaspal formed a potent combination at the Paris 2024 Olympics. At the same time, 'Maverick Jaspal', a new book co-authored by this writer with G. Rajaraman, brings out the best of Manu and Jaspal and how Indian shooting has lost a genius.
Had Manu moved on from coach Jaspal Rana Sir to others, she would have joined up with Samresh or Ronak. She did not, and the reason is that they cannot be the same motivational force as 'Jaspal Sir'. To have a new lady, Jelena Arunovic, mentoring Manu Bhaker will take time. It is important not to write off Manu, who will still be India's best bet at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. That Manu will have to rub shoulders with Suruchi and Esha Singh will be interesting. Indeed, the battles ahead in the next 22 months will be interesting. Manu mastered the Olympic Selection Trials in 2024, so she needs to remind herself that, in the absence of her mentor, the grind will be harder.
Where Manu and Esha need to firm up is in staying away from those who are not coaches and are actually a distraction, which includes their own family members. After all, fathers on tours abroad are not coaches.
Indian shooting has raised the bar many times, so any comparison with the last Asian Games in Hangzhou may be off target. There is depth and talent, so the pistol shooters will find ways to come good in the next phase. At the same time, the Indian rifle shooters will also gain in strength once coach Deepali Deshpande is back with her bunch. She has consciously taken a break now. As regards shotgun shooting, in skeet, the results are very encouraging. Anantjeet Naruka, Maheshwari Chauhan and all others are finding form. How to go big before Los Angeles will be defining.
If one flips through the names of medal winners, social media critics will do well to note how women are doing well. Imagine, in squash, there is a legend out there, Joshna Chinappa. She has been competing in every Asian Games for India since the Busan Asian Games in 2002. It's crazy how she keeps going at nearly 40. I recall the old days when her father, Anjan Chinappa, would ask for her results to be published. Today, Joshna needs no such recommendation. And if Joshna can keep going till LA 2028, where squash makes its debut, it will be mind-blowing.
Move over to MMA - mixed martial arts - and we have a 36-year-old lady who won a bronze medal at the Asian Games. Suchika Taryal, who was eve-teased at 12, has been growing from strength to strength. She has featured in different combat sports. How she sealed a bronze medal and speaks of motivation at her age is a reminder that we must respect our women athletes. Hopefully, one Suruchi and one Suchika will be in the news for a long time and not be forgotten.
A reminder of what happened in the build-up to the Asian Games this time in Japan. Conditions in Aichi-Nagoya prefecture have been far from perfect. There were boarding and lodging problems as well as logistical issues. To have taken them in stride and moved on is good. Then again, for all those who say gold medals have been lost, Neeraj Chopra pulling out with an ankle injury and Annu Rani not making the cut are sad developments. So, the gold medal count will dip for sure.
The way ahead is to plan for the LA 2028 Olympics. It is well known that the Government of India and the Indian Olympic Association are hands-on with Indian sport and preparations. Olympic preparation will be very different from the Asian Games in terms of which disciplines and who all should be supported. Yes, emotionally, we Indians will still back a Mirabai Chanu who won her first Asian Games silver medal in Japan. There is still a strong possibility that PV Sindhu will be around. If you are going to say why back the oldies, they are still good.
As regards team sports for LA 2028, cricket and hockey will be important. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur winning the gold medal for India in Nagoya was great. At the same time, one expects Shreyas Iyer's boys to also win gold at the Asian Games and do well at the Olympics.
In boxing, wrestling and a few more sports, India needs to tune up for the Olympics. Governance is also a big issue in many sports federations at home. If the house can be set in order, there is hope that selection and athletes will get top priority. One should not be caught up reading negative reports on Indian sports. If everyone backs Indian sports, we will improve. As for comparison with China, avoid it. Let us just be India and try our best.
That can be defining in this journey ahead to LA 2028.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.