India, Sept. 22 -- The 20th Asian Games will officially get underway in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on September 19, bringing together the best sporting talent from across the continent. For India, the immediate objective is obvious, build on the historic performance in Hangzhou and once again establish itself among Asia's leading sporting nations.

But the Asian Games represent something larger than a collection of medals. For India, success in Nagoya is also about positioning itself within Asia, not merely as an economic, technological or geopolitical power, but as a country whose sporting capabilities increasingly match its broader ambitions.

At the Hangzhou Asian Games, held in 2023 after being postponed from 2022, India crossed the 100-med...