New Delhi, Oct 7:
India’s impressive showing at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games has strengthened hopes of building a stronger medal challenge at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
India finished fourth at the Asian Games with 85 medals — 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze. The campaign featured historic achievements in golf and strong performances in hockey, archery, boxing, athletics and cricket.
The men’s and women’s hockey teams both won gold, while India also completed a golden double in cricket. Pranavi Urs created history by winning gold in women’s golf, while Indian athletes produced several breakthrough performances across disciplines.
The Games also highlighted areas requiring attention. Tennis endured a medal drought, while badminton and several other disciplines fell short of expectations. Shooting produced several near misses before India recovered strongly towards the end of the competition.
With Los Angeles 2028 now the major target, Indian sporting federations will look to convert the Asian Games momentum into sustained Olympic preparation. The challenge will be to identify promising athletes early, provide them with international exposure and ensure that medal-winning performances at continental level translate into Olympic success.