Nagoya, Oct 1:
India produced its richest medal haul of the Asian Games so far on Wednesday, winning four gold medals in a spectacular burst led by its compound archers and shooters, and climbed back into the top 10 of the medal table.
The four gold medals came in quick succession, with the compound archery contingent sweeping all three team titles on offer at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square. Shooter Neeru Dhanda and Kynan Chenai added the fourth gold in the mixed trap event, giving India a much-needed boost after a disappointing end to its athletics campaign.
The day’s haul took India’s overall medal tally to 60, comprising 10 gold, 21 silver and 29 bronze medals. India also secured three bronze medals on Wednesday, taking its total for the Games to 60.
The compound archers were the biggest contributors to the day’s success, winning gold in the men’s team, women’s team and mixed team events. Their clean sweep underlined India’s strength in the discipline and provided three of the country’s four gold medals in a single day.
The mixed trap pair of Neeru Dhanda and Kynan Chenai then added another gold in shooting. Their victory further strengthened India’s campaign in a discipline that has traditionally been one of the country’s major medal sources at the Asian Games.
For Neeru, the gold also carried a personal significance. The shooter had reportedly promised her mother that she would one day meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi after achieving success. Her Asian Games triumph has now turned that promise into reality.
The performance came at a crucial stage of India’s campaign. With the athletics events completed, the country needed a strong showing from its shooting and archery contingents to maintain momentum in the medal standings.
The four-gold haul on Wednesday provided exactly that, taking India back into the top 10 and giving the contingent a fresh push heading into the final stages of the Games.
India’s medal tally now stands at 60, with the 10 gold medals supplemented by 21 silver and 29 bronze medals. The country will look to build on Wednesday’s success as more events enter their decisive stages.
The archery sweep and shooting gold also highlighted the depth of India’s medal prospects beyond athletics, with both disciplines emerging as major contributors to the country’s campaign in Aichi-Nagoya.