Athletes in India aim for a remarkable medal count at the Asian Games while looking towards the prospect of the 2028 Los Angeles games.
India Aims High at the 2022 Asian Games
India is gearing up for the 2022 Asian Games in Japan, with high hopes of improving upon its impressive performance at the previous games in Hangzhou, China.
The men's hockey team, who defended their Asian Games title in China, will be aiming to repeat their success in Japan. Shooting remains a key medal-winning sport for India, and Manu Bhaker is looking to defend her team gold in the 25m pistol event. Traditional sports like kabaddi are expected to contribute to India's medal haul, while cricket, which saw both the men's and women's teams win gold in Hangzhou, offers a major opportunity for India to add to its Olympic medal count in the future, particularly in 2028.
Neeraj Chopra, the 2021 Tokyo javelin throw champion, will spearhead India's campaign in the 2022 Asian Games. The athlete, who won the gold medal in the javelin throw at the 2023 Asian Games, aims to win a third straight Asian Games title. However, he will face stiff competition from Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, who is expected to be his main rival.
India's archery team, which won nine medals in Hangzhou and the men's compound team clinching gold at the World Championships in South Korea, is another medal hopeful. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) is prioritizing the men's and women's 4x100m relays in athletics, with the men's team having clocked 38.69 seconds, a potential podium time in Aichi-Nagoya.
Adille Sumariwalla, spokesman for the AFI, believes India will do better at the 2022 Asian Games. However, he stresses that India's bigger goal is the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. India surpassed expectations at the 2023 Asian Games, collecting 107 medals, their best showing to date. But with a population as large as India's, the country's 10 gold medals in the Olympics remains a relatively small number.
The women's hockey team seeks redemption after settling for bronze in China. India's men and women cricketers also aim to win gold in the 2022 Asian Games, repeating their success in Hangzhou. Overall, India is looking to break its record medal haul at the 2022 Asian Games and continue its upward trajectory in international sporting competitions.
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