THE buses will stop running, accreditation cards will soon become souvenirs and athletes rushing through airports will once again replace the colourful chaos of the past two weeks. The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games have come to an end. It was a simple farewell, much like the opening ceremony. There was music, colour, dancing, flags and athletes enjoying perhaps their first opportunity in days to simply breathe and take in what they had achieved. For India, it was a closing night filled with pride. Shooter Neeru Dhanda led the Indian contingent as flagbearer, carrying the Tricolour into the stadium after an exceptional campaign for the country. Yet her presence was just one part of a much bigger Indian story. India finished fourth in the medal table with 85 medals — 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze. China dominated the Games, followed by Japan and South Korea, while India’s medal haul once again highlighted its growing presence across a wide range of sports. And some of the loudest celebrations came from a sport that needs little introduction in India — cricket.

 

Cricket once again proved that its place in the Asian Games is no longer merely symbolic. India’s men’s and women’s teams both returned with gold medals. For Indian cricket, these were not just two more medals on a crowded tally. The Asian Games offered another reminder of how far the sport has reached beyond its traditional boundaries—and of the weight the Indian jersey carries even outside the world’s biggest cricket tournaments. For some Indian athletes, however, there was no glamour attached to their journey. There were early morning starts, long journeys to venues and hours spent waiting for competition. Some travelled hundreds of kilometres simply to compete for a medal that may never make the front pages. Yet they kept showing up. That perhaps became the defining characteristic of India’s campaign. Archery produced a stunning five gold medals. Boxing added three golds, while wrestling contributed two. Hockey and kabaddi brought the familiar roar of team triumphs, with both men’s and women’s teams winning gold. Athletics again produced its share of drama, with India’s runners and field athletes battling through pressure and weather to add precious medals