When the Indian Olympic Association and the Sports Ministry launched the slogan ‘Ab ki baar sau paar’ for the 2023 Asian Games, there were few serious takers for the claim. After all, the previous best was 70 in Jakarta five years ago.
Logic, cynicism and India’s medal history ensured even seasoned observers of Indian sports erred on the side of caution, giving a conservative estimate of somewhere in the mid 80s. Even halfway through the two-week competition here, the 100-medal mark looked a little far-fetched. On Friday, the women’s kabaddi team had the honour of not only regaining the gold it lost in 2018 but also be the 100th Indian medallist. As claimants for the origin of the sport, it was perhaps befitting that kabaddi marked the milestone moment.
But through the past 15 days, Indians proved repeatedly that they were not here to just make up the numbers. It began in water with the unassuming rowers and ended on the mat with a gold in what, after hockey, is the one sport that ignites Indian sentiments like nothing else. In between, the nation found new heroes in events as diverse as equestrian dressage and roller-skating, reaffirmed faith in old favourites like hockey and boxing and broke new grounds in badminton, table tennis and squash. And while the likes of shooting and athletics provided the bulk of medals, the spread of Indian medalists across 21 different sports in this edition says much about the strides Indian sportspersons have made in the last few years.
