5 Disciplines in which India can clinch a Gold Medal ft. Cricket, Badminton, Kabaddi, etc.
The much-awaited 2022 Asian Games have kicked off in Hangzhou, China with all eyes on India as they would like to better their record in terms of winning medals. While India started on a disappointing note in men’s football against China, the nation is yet to start its participation in many of the key events.
In the last edition held in 2018, India won 69 medals including 15 gold medals, 24 silver medals, and 30 bronze medals. It stood in the eighth position last time with China, Japan, and The Republic of Korea becoming the top three teams.
This time, the players would like to achieve a better ranking. Today, let us take a look at the disciplines where Indians can clinch a gold medal in the 2023 Asian Games. Here they are:
#5 Chess
Chess has been reintroduced to the prestigious event after a gap of 13 years and India is all set to deliver at the big stage this time. The team currently has some exceptional players in the form of Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh D, and Koneru Humpy. Harika Dronavalli, who has won a bronze medal in the event in the past, is in the squad as well.
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa is all set to deliver in the ongoing Asian Games in China
The 17-year-old Praggnanadhaa will definitely be on the mind of everyone as he has already been the youngest World Chess Championship finalist.
It is understood that the competition would be tough on the international stage, however, with some remarkable shows in the past, it looks like India has the potential to win the gold medal in the discipline. The chess competition is set to captivate audiences from September 24 to October 7.
#4 Athletics
Having athletics on the list is a matter of pride for India as they have shown some terrific performances in the past couple of years. It used to be one of the disciplines where Indians hardly won any medal but now all eyes will be on some of the champion players from the country.
World champion Neeraj Chopra would like to repeat his 2018 performance in Jakarta where he won the gold medal for his country. Apart from Neeraj, Kishore Kumar Jena will be the other thrower for India. Talking about men’s long jump, Murali Sreeshankar will be the one who can turn the tables in his favor.
India’s men’s 4×400 relay team is also a strong contender for the gold medal after their fantastic performance in the World Athletics Championship. They finished fifth in the event but showcased a remarkable performance. Avinash Sable will also be competing in men’s 3000m steeplechase and men’s 5000m.
Athletics in the Asian Games will be held from September 29 to October 5 with the men’s javelin throw final set to take place on October 4.
#3 Badminton
India has shown what they can do in badminton and this is why it won’t be surprising if they get a gold in the team event. In men’s singles, HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth would look to conquer the stage, whereas PV Sindhu would be looking to get her maiden gold medal in the Asian Games after settling for the silver medal in the previous edition.
The young gun Lakshya Sen failed to qualify for the single’s event after finishing behind Srikanth in the trials but will be seen competing in the team events.
HS Prannoy will be one of the contenders for a gold medal in Asian Games 2023
Talking about men’s doubles, all eyes would be on Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy after their phenomenal performances over the last couple of years. They are one of the top contenders to win the gold medal in their category. On the flip side, the women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand have a great chance of clinching a medal in the women’s doubles event. The event will start on September 28 and it will go on till October 7.
#2 Cricket
Cricket has always been India’s top sport and getting a gold medal in the Asian Games is right on the cards. Both men’s and women’s teams have been given a bye to play the quarter-final directly. Apart from India; Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh are the other quarterfinalists.
India has been remarkable at the world stage in both men’s and women’s cricket over the years and playing against Asian teams shouldn’t be a problem for them at all. Of course, they might play against a couple of tough teams including Pakistan and Sri Lanka but if they can manage to beat them, it can be a historic event for them.
While the men’s core squad would be busy playing the World Cup set to be hosted in India beginning October 5, India has sent their second-string team to the event which is also quite strong including the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, and Arshdeep Singh to name a few. On the other hand, the women’s team will be led by Harmanpreet Kaur and players like Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and Jemimah Rodrigues are making this squad top-notch.
The Indian women’s team will start its campaign on September 21 against Malaysia, however, the men’s team will start its campaign on October 3. The final of the women’s team will be played on September 25 whereas the men’s final will be held on October 7.
#1 Kabaddi
With seven gold medals in Asian Games history, Indian men’s Kabaddi would look to grab their 8th gold medal this time. In the last edition in 2018, the team failed to secure a gold medal after losing the final against Iran, however, this time the team is fully prepared and eager to recapture the gold medal once again.
With some iconic names including Pawan Sehrawat, Arjun Deshwal, and Parvesh Bhainswal, the men’s team is all set to deliver something big this time and getting a gold medal at this stage would be iconic for the country.
On the other hand, the women’s Kabaddi team too, won a silver medal in Jakarta 2018 and would like to change the color of their medal this time. They made their debut in 2010 and won two gold medals initially but Iran got the better of them in the last edition to clinch gold. This is going to be a perfect time to take revenge for their previous defeat if the two teams meet. The teams will kick off their campaign on October 2.