Mumbai: It has been a fortnight since the 20th Asian Games came to an end and the Indian sports ministry has since been trying to make sense of the hits and misses from the contingent that competed in Aichi-Nagoya.
There were certainly plenty of talking points from what unfolded in those two weeks in Japan, with some medal-contenders putting in under-par displays while some unexpected athletes punching above their weight to find a spot on the coveted podium.
The dissection continues, but the dust has not quite settled in Japan, as the Asian Para Games officially begin on Sunday. And once again there is a lot of hope from the Indian squad that has made its way to Aichi-Nagoya.
The contingent’s size, compared to the previous edition in Hangzhou, has decreased, however. India had sent 309 athletes to compete in 17 different sports. The number of events on the Aichi-Nagoya roster has also reduced, causing India to send a 168-strong squad to compete across nine different sports.
But the expectations will not have diminished.
Since the inaugural edition of the Asian Para Games in 2010, India’s returns from the continental event have been on a positive trajectory. There were just 14 medals won – including a solitary gold, four silver and nine bronze – at the 2010 edition in Guangzhou. The total medals went up to 33 (three gold, 14 silver and 16 bronze) at Incheon 2014 and then 72 (15 gold, 24 silver and 33 bronze) at Jakarta 2018.
India then pulled out all the stops at Hangzhou, winning 108 medals – 27 gold, 32 silver and 49 bronze.
Of the 27 gold medals won three years ago at the delayed Games in China, India’s contingent will have 18 of them returning to defend their title in their respective events. Included in that list is para-archer Sheetal Devi, who won gold in the individual and mixed (with Rakesh Kumar) events at Hangzhou.
The 19-year-old from Kashmir, who had also won silver in the women’s doubles event at the previous Asiad, partnering Sarita Devi, had added a lot of simulation training to her preparation before heading to Japan. “There has been rigorous daily shooting and endurance work,” she said to HT. “(I have also) added scenario drills (to the training), like simulated crowd noise and sudden-death shoot-offs. But (going as the reigning gold-medallist) is an honour, not a burden. I’ve been focusing strictly on my execution, not thinking of defending the title.”
Along with the 2024 Paris Paralympic bronze medallist Sheetal Devi is Avani Lekhara. The 24-year-old had shot into the limelight when she won gold in the women’s 10m air rifle SH1 event at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021. She then defended her crown at the Paris Paralympics. In between, she won gold in the air rifle event at Hangzhou.
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In athletics, Sumit Antil is travelling to the Asian Para Games looking to complete the only major challenge he is yet to fulfil. He had won gold at the Tokyo Paralympics and then retained his crown in Paris. In the World Championships, he is the reigning three-time gold medallist in the men’s F64 javelin event.
Now in Aichi-Nagoya, he will be looking to earn back-to-back gold medals at the Asiad for the first time, after finishing fifth at the 2018 edition.
And then there is badminton star Pramod Bhagat. The 38-year-old is a Paralympic champion, a nine-time World Championship gold-medallist (six times in singles and three in doubles) and is the two-time reigning Asian Para Games champion, having won the singles crown in 2018 and then defending it in Hangzhou.
Along with table tennis star Bhavina Patel – who won bronze in the women’s singles C4 event last time – Bhagat is the joint-flag bearer for the Indian contingent at the opening ceremony. The pair will lead out an array of medal contenders at the Parade of Nations on Sunday.
