QUICK SPRINT

 

 

 

THE bounty of medals in the Asian Games by Indian sportspersons might have stopped at Mt. 107 but the real treasure is hidden beneath the numbers. The most shining gem from the bounty is the amazing resurgence of the sporting spirit that has made the world sit up and sincerely acknowledge India’s image as a growing sporting nation. From 70 medals with 16 gold in Jakarta 2018 to 107 medals with 28 gold in Hangzhou 2023, India has run a quick sprint to glory, marking its footing for a long distance marathon in the coming years. It is a time to hail the gritty sportspersons coming from tiny villages and nondescript towns who have realised the collective dream of “Is Baar Sau Paar” with their inspiring tales. The Indian contingent will return home from China games with a blazing trail that needs to be stretched further when the world meets for the ultimate glory in Paris Olympics next year. By marking its place on the Asian high table, three spots behind Asia’s top sporting powers ruling the roost, India has sounded its arrival with a blowing trumpet. Its sound has been heard by the world and now is the time to raise the decibels with more such displays in every sporting discipline. India’s performance chart has many new ticks in some sports where the country’s sportspersons had been struggling to stay afloat.

 

The biggest improvement has unarguably come from both track and field which ultimately produced many new champions and also fuelled the dash towards the medals century. Neeraj Chopra yet again led the golden brigade with his out-of-the-world 88.88m throw and this time the pied-piper had many others following him. Kishore Jena is definitely the find of the field events as he matched Chopra’s intensity almost on equal plane. At one point, Jena was leading the pack with a superb throw before Chopra summoned his inner strength to reclaim his gold. Along side, Annu Rani was ready to rewrite history by claiming the women’s javelin gold for the first time for India.

 

On the track, Avinash Sable and Parul Chaudhary realised their dream in dramatic fashion to swell India’s medal tally from athletics. The compound archers then shot the bull’s eye with five gold medals as Jyothi Surekha and Ojas Pravin Deotale picked three gold each to become the most successful athletes of the Games. Similar stories were seen in other sports. One key factor behind this success is the Government’s serious involvement in providing facilities to the sportspersons. There is a steady rise in government funding under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). Flowing financial resources, top-quality coaching staff, scientific mapping of medal prospects and plethora of exposure trips have led to a remarkable improvement in India’s sporting campaigns. The sprint has just started!