The Sports Ministry will review India’s performance at the recently concluded Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya at a one-day meeting with national sports federations on October 13, with the underwhelming showings in badminton, shooting and some sections of athletics expected to come under the scanner. The Ministry will also review the injury concerns that emerged after athletes reached the Games.
India finished fourth in the overall medal standings with 85 medals (21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze) at the Games, which ended on October 4. It was India’s second-highest medal tally at an Asian Games, but well short of the record 106 medals won at Hangzhou in 2023.
“Some experienced athletes were clearly in a comfort zone and it reflected in their performance. The National federations will be involved and a meeting is likely in the next few days, probably October 13 or 14,” a Sports Ministry source said on Thursday.
“Another issue was injuries. Players were declaring injuries after reaching the Games, how is that fair. Crores have been spent in preparing them,” he said.
WHO WERE INJURED?
Several prominent Indian athletes were ruled out of the Games or entered the event with injury concerns. Two-time Olympic javelin medallist Neeraj Chopra missed the Games after suffering an ankle ligament tear in training following the Lausanne Diamond League.
Weightlifter Chanambam Rishikanta Singh, India’s lone male lifter, withdrew with a knee injury. In athletics, Tejas Shirse and Shahnawaz Khan were ruled out with injuries, while Jyothi Yarraji and Praveen Chithravel were cleared despite carrying niggles. Tennis player Yuki Bhambri also entered the Games with a thigh injury concern.
The meeting is also expected to examine the allocation and release of funds under the government’s flagship Target Olympics Podium Scheme (TOPS). The Sports Ministry had said before the Games that more than Rs 700 crore had been spent on preparing the Indian contingent over the three-year cycle.
BADMINTON DISAPPOINTS
Badminton is likely to be one of the biggest areas of concern. India returned with just one medal, a bronze in the men’s team event, and failed to win an individual medal for the first time in 12 years.
Defending men’s doubles champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty suffered the biggest setback, losing in the opening round to Thailand’s Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Peeratchai Sukphun. The fourth-seeded Indians won the first game 21-12 but surrendered the next two 19-21, 14-21 to exit after 68 minutes.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu was India’s last individual hope but lost to China’s Chen Yufei in the quarterfinals. Sindhu won the opening game 21-11 before the Tokyo Olympic champion fought back to win 18-21, 10-21. Unnati Hooda also bowed out in the last eight, while Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand and Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto suffered quarterfinal defeats.
SHOOTING SEES MIXED RESULTS
Shooting also produced a mixed campaign. India eventually won 15 medals (three gold, eight silver and four bronze), but that was a sizeable drop from the 22 medals, including seven golds, won at Hangzhou.
The performance of Manu Bhaker will be another talking point. The double Olympic medallist finished fifth in the women’s 10m air pistol final after qualifying third, scoring 181.1 in the final. She returned from the Games without a medal after competing in four events.
There were positives, particularly in shotgun. Neeru Dhanda won women’s trap gold, while Dhanda and Kynan Chenai combined for gold in the mixed trap event. But the pistol events, including those involving India’s established names, yielded fewer returns than expected.
ATHLETICS MAINTAINS MEDAL STREAK, BUT GOLD COUNT FALLS
Athletics remained India’s biggest contributor, producing 24 medals (one gold, nine silver and 14 bronze). However, the gold tally dropped dramatically from six at Hangzhou to just one in Aichi-Nagoya.
India’s lone athletics gold came in the women’s 4x400m relay, where Kiran Pahal, M.R. Poovamma, Prachi Choudhary and Vithya Ramraj clocked 3:29.69. Gulveer Singh was another standout, winning three medals across the 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m, while Sawan Berwal took marathon silver and Sarvesh Kushare won high-jump bronze.
The October 13 review is consequently expected to go beyond the medal tally and examine preparation, injury management, athlete selection and the effectiveness of TOPS support. With the Los Angeles Olympics less than two years away, the meeting will also offer an opportunity to identify areas that need correction before India’s next major international targets.
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