On August 18, Asia’s sporting elite will converge in Jakarta for the 18th Asian Games. For India, it’ll be the last major sporting event before the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
Since the first games in 1951 in New Delhi, India have gained 616 medals across all sports, the fourth highest among all Asian countries. However, India sits in a distant fourth spot because China, South Korea and Japan have won over 2,000 medals each.
In the last three games, India has consistently taken more than 50 medals, which shows a steady progression, but a good showing in Jakarta will prove that the wins were not generational, but rather ongoing development of Indian athletes.
Unsurprisingly, India have hauled in the most number of medals in track and field which accounts for most of the games’ events. Indian athletes have won 233 medals in athletics followed by 56 and 55 medals in wrestling and boxing respectively.
Athletic prowess has never gone beyond the Asian games, but boxing, shooting and wrestling success have found their way into the Olympics.
India’s dominance in some sports is diminished by China’s presence. Weightlifting is a good example where India dominates only in the absence of serious international competition. Though India gained nine medals at the Commonwealth Games earlier in the year, it’s unlikely that success will translate in the Asian games.
India have won only a single weight lifting medal at the Asian Games since 1998. Karnam Malleswari took home a silver in Bangkok and went on to win a bronze at the Sydney Olympics two years later.
The Asian Games is truly a preparation for the Olympics. Success here means there is a good chance to succeed at the Olympic level.
India’s success in 2010 at Guangzhou and in New Delhi eventually led to success at the London Olympics. All were India’s best performances at those sporting events.
