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After fighting it out for two weeks, the Indian contingent for the 18th Asian Games can be vastly satisfied as they returned with 69 medals across all sports - their best haul ever in an Asiad. While some medallions pleasantly surprised, there were some events where a rich haul was expected, and the players did not disappoint.
Here are the five sports in which India brought home the most medals.
#1 Athletics (7 Gold, 10 Silver, 2 Bronze)
India are ranked third in the all-time medal tally in athletics in the Asian Games and the rich haul of 19 medals this time around did the ratings no harm. With seven golds, 10 silver and two bronze, the athletics contingent gave the Indian spectators much reason to rejoice.
Tajinderpal Singh Toor opened the gold medal account by finishing first in the Men’s shot put with a score of 20.75 (a Games Record) while India’s flag-bearer at the Opening Ceremony Neeraj Chopra brought home the country’s first gold in javelin throw in the history of the Asiad.
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Manjit Singh in the Men’s 800m and Arpinder Singh in the triple jump were the other male athletes to win gold while the women impressed in the 4x400m relay, as the team of M.R. Poovamma, Saritaben Gaikwad, Hima Das and Vismaya clocked 3:28:72.
A visibly-in-pain Swapna Barman who has six toes in both her feet fought back toothache to achieve the summit position in the heptathlon event while Jinson Johnson proved her stamina by clinching the 1500m race.
The maverick Dutee Chand who had been ostracized due to high levels of Testosterone staged a remarkable comeback by winning two silvers in the 100m and 200m while Hima returned with an individual medal too as well as one in the mixed 4x400m relay.
All in all, athletics proved to be the high point and the players would hope that they can carry on and maybe return with an Olympics medal as well.
#2 Shooting (2 Gold, 4 Silver, 3 Bronze)
The shooters, like the athletics squad have been one of the most consistent players for India across all competitions and hopes were high once again in the Asian Games as well.
India returned with nine medals across all events with Rahi Sarnobat and Saurabh Chaudhary winning gold in the 25m pistol and 10m air pistol, respectively.
The Games was particularly successful as it threw up a number of talented teenagers who can prove to be real match-winners for India in the future.
While Chaudhary was the youngest Indian to win a shooting gold in the history of the competition, shooters like Shardul Vihan, 15, and Lakshay Sheoran, 19, won silver each in the double trap and trap competitions.
Deepak Kumar and Ravi Kumar in the 10m air rifle and Sanjeev Rajput in 50m rifle 3 positions were the other silver medallists while Abhishek Verma in the 10m air pistol along with veteran Heena Sindhu in the women’s 10m air pistol clinched bronze.
The duo of Ravi Kumar and Apurvi Chandela won bronze in the mixed 10m air rifle event too.
#3 Wrestling (2 Gold, 1 Bronze)
Vinesh Phogat became the first Indian to win gold in women’s wrestling after she defeated Japan’s Yuki Irie 3-1.
Competing in the 50kg freestyle event, Phogat was tactically stronger than her rival and she romped away to a historical medal, thus ending the pain of missing out in the Rio Olympics after China’s Sun Yanan injured her two years ago. Incidentally, Yanan was Phogat’s first round opponent at Jakarta.
Bajrang Punia in the 65kg category was the other gold medallist in the sport as he raced away to convincing wins over all his rivals.
Divya Kakran. Wrestling in the 68kg weight category was a bronze medallist.
#4 Rowing (1 Gold, 2 Bronze)
The rowers impressed with their never-say-die attitude in the Games, returning with one gold and two bronze medals.
After being in contention for four medals only to win none, the Army men turned the tide with a spirited showing on the final day of the competition to win gold in the quadruple sculls before Dushyant Chauhan in the lightweight sculls and the pair of Bhagwan Singh and Rohit Kumar in lightweight doubles sculls returned with bronze.
Such was the energy exhibited that Dushyant who gave it his all in the last 500m of the race had to be carried away on a stretcher before the medal ceremony. He collapsed midway during the ceremony, which only showed the dedication that he had towards winning a medal.
By starting off steadily and then pushing the pedals in the last 500m, the Indians out-rowed their rivals and made it an event to remember.
#5 Lawn Tennis (1 Gold, 2 Bronze)
Not much was expected from the tennis contingent, especially with the absence of stalwarts Leander Paes who pulled out of the Men’s doubles at the last moment and Sania Mirza who is expecting her first child.
Yet, the pair of Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan kept their calm to win four matches in a row convincingly. They defeated the Kazakhstan pair of Alexander Bublik and Denis Yevseyev 6-3, 6-4 in the summit clash to ensure that a Men’s doubles medal has returned home in each edition since 2002.
Prajnesh Gunneswaran and Ankita Raina were the bronze medalists in tennis.
