India is fielding a jumbo contingent of around 650 athletes at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. Although the event officially commences on September 23, having been postponed from 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some competitions started from September 19. It presents a valuable opportunity to gauge India’s performance against top Asian competitors, just 10 months ahead of the Paris Olympics.
Historically, India tends to excel in the Asian Games, accumulating a significant medal count, but struggles to replicate this success on the global Olympic stage. In the previous cycle, India secured 70 medals (16 gold, 23 silver, and 31 bronze) in 36 sports at the Asian Games, yet managed only seven medals (1 G, 2 S, and 4 B) across 18 sports at the subsequent Tokyo Olympics. In the cycle before that, India won 57 medals (28 sports) in Incheon and followed it up with just two medals (15 sports) at the Rio Olympics.
