Even as fans locked in on multiple Indian athletes at the Asian Games, Sumit Nagal’s quarterfinal exit barely caused a flutter. Yet, that quiet departure confirmed something profoundly unsettling: for the first time in 40 years, India would leave the Games without a tennis medal of any colour.
As the 20th Asian Games wind up today, every sport will begin a post-mortem. Tennis, however, finds itself at a particularly sombre intersection. This barren outcome is a stark reminder of a dispiriting story of India’s shrinking presence at the highest levels, and the reassurance once provided by doubles success vanishing.
