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Team India scripted history at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, after winning more than 100 medals at the multi-sporting continental event for the first time in 72 years. Since the inaugural edition of the Asiad was held in New Delhi in 1951, the best haul of medals for India was in Jakarta-Palembang in 2018, where they had secured 70 medals.
Also Read: Asian Games 2023 Final Medals Tally
The final tally of medals for Team India at the Asian Games 2023 is a whopping 107, including 28 gold, 38 silver, and 41 bronze. In comparison, the country had earned 16 golds, 23 silvers, and 31 bronzes at the Asian Games 2018, the previous highest tally of medals, which is now well and truly in second place as far as the overall numbers are concerned.
Now the question arises, how has the Indian contingent managed to get a record number of medals from the Asiad this year, in comparison to the previous edition? Which were the sporting disciplines that helped boost the medal tally of Team India at the Asian Games 2023?
The main reason for eclipsing the 100-medal target for India in Hangzhou were the shooters, archers, and the athletics contingent, who improved their performances drastically across the board. The number of athletes had increased from 570 in 2018 to 661 in 2023, which also played an important part in creating more opportunities for Team India to win more medals.
Shooting
In shooting, the Indian contingent won 22 medals, including 7 golds, 9 silvers, and 6 bronze in 2023, which is a stark contrast to 2018, when they had 2 golds, 4 silvers, and 3 bronzes, totaling to 9 medals. Some of the top performers in shooting for India were Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Sarabjot Singh, Palak Gulia, Esha Singh, who got multiple medals in various disciplines.
Archery
Archery was one of the biggest positives for Team India at the Asian Games 2023, which helped them secure fourth place on the medal’s tally, the third highest finish in the history of the multi-sporting continental games. From securing just 2 silvers at Jakarta-Palembang, the Indian contingent, spearheaded by Ojas Pravin Deotale and Jyothi Surekha Vennam, got 9 medals, including 5 golds, 2 silvers, and 2 bronzes.
Athletics
One of the most reliable sporting disciplines in which India has won a high bag of medals at the Asian Games over its long history. In 2018, the Indian contingent took home 20 medals, including 8 golds, 9 silvers, and 3 bronzes, but the overall number increased in 2023 to 29 medals, including 6 golds, 14 silvers, and 9 bronzes, with Neeraj Chopra, Kishore Kumar Jena, Avinash Sable, Annu Rani, Parul Chaudhary, and Harmilan Bains finding themselves in the headlines.
Other Sports
Some of the other sports which allowed Team India to add to their medal tally, included cricket and badminton, where they won the gold for the first time in Asian Games history in Hangzhou. Chess, roller skating, sepaktakraw, and golf also provided India with medals in 2023, which wasn’t the case in 2018, to help lift the overall tally in a substantial manner.
