New Delhi: India won three medals in rowing and two in shooting at the Asian Games 2023, which opened in Hangzhou, the People’s Republic of China, on Saturday.
Arvind Singh and Arjun Lal Jat kickstarted proceedings in rowing with a second-placed finish behind China in men’s lightweight double sculls. Rowing fetched India further medals with Men’s Eight team, Neeraj, Naresh Kalwaniya, Neetish Kumar, Charanjeet Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Bheem Singh, Punit Kumar, Ashish and Dhananjay Uttam Pande, adding another silver and Babu Lal Yadav and Lekh Ram winning a bronze in men’s pair.
The trio of Ramita, Mehuli Ghosh, and Ashi Chouksey also earned a silver medal in the women’s 10m air rifle event. India’s Ramita finished third in Women’s 10m Air Rifle, taking the overall medal tally up to 5.
Additionally, India women’s cricket team has also confirmed a silver medal by defeating Bangladesh by 8 wickets in the semi-final. Notably, India has fielded it cricket teams at the Asian Games for the first time.
A 655-member Indian contingent is competing in the 19th edition of the continental multisport event, which will conclude on October 8. The Indian athletics squad features top names like men’s javelin throw ace Neeraj Chopra, the reigning world, Olympic and Asian Games champion, Commonwealth Games men’s 3000m steeplechase silver medallist Avinash Sable and women’s hurdles sensation Jyothi Yarraji. The boxing team is being spearheaded by world champion Nikhat Zareen and Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain, while the wrestling team, featuring Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia and Antim Panghal. Football and hockey will also see full representation.
India is hoping to overhaul 70-medal of its most successful Asian Games campaign at Jakarta five years back, when it had won 16 golds.