Vantage | Asian Games: India shows the world its sporting muscle

It is raining medals for India at the Asian Games. Our highest haul ever. India’s previous best was 71 medals at the 2018 Games. This year, we have already crossed 80 in count. And remember, it’s not done yet. We have around four days of action left. India is now placed fourth on the medal tally. Only South Korea, Japan and China rank above us. Let’s focus on Wednesday’s victories. The men’s hockey team had a great day. They entered the finals by beating South Korea. So, there is a guaranteed medal. It was a great day at the archery range as well. India won gold in the compound mixed team event. Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Ojas Pravin Deotaley defeated South Korea in the finals. Of course, all eyes were on athletics. India won silver in the women’s 800 metre and men’s 5,000 metres. We also won a silver in the 4x400 women’s relay.

So, Wednesday was a very impressive day. And, topping it off was Neeraj Chopra, India’s “golden boy”. He defended his Asian Games medal successfully. He clinched gold in the men’s javelin throw. Not without some drama though: Neeraj’s first throw was wiped off by a glitch. Everyone waited for the distance to appear on the screen, but it never did. The officials claim the equipment did not work, it couldn’t measure the distance of the throw. Whatever the reason, he had to try again. And Neeraj hit 82.3 metres this time. His first attempt, the one that was wiped out, though looked much longer. Many users on social media pointed that out. They said it’s unfair on Neeraj. Chopra faced stiff competition from a fellow Indian, Kishore Kumar Jena. For a brief while, Jena was in the gold medal position, and Neeraj was in the silver slot. But on his fourth attempt, he showed everyone why he is a world champion. Neeraj delivered his best throw of the season. Just imagine that, you’re in a clutch situation, you need a great throw to win gold, and you deliver your season best, that’s Neeraj Chopra for you. Kishore Jena ended up with the silver medal. Both athletes then posed together with the Indian flag. It was a great day for Indian athletics. And of course, Neeraj Chopra had to headline it. There doesn’t seem to be a debate anymore. Chopra is the best Indian athlete ever. At the age of 25, just look at his resume. Gold at the 2018 commonwealth games, Gold at the 2018 Asian Games, Gold at the 2020 Olympics, then a Gold at the 2023 world championship, and now a Gold again at the Asian Games. No Indian athlete has come close to this. We’ve had flashes of brilliance before, like P T Usha at the 1984 Olympics. She missed out on bronze by a whisker. Same with Milkha Singh in 1960. They showed us what is possible. And now Chopra is delivering it. Not once or twice, but event after event. And that’s what sets him apart is the way he delivers consistently at every event, the way he comes to life on the big stage. That is what separates the good from the great. Neeraj’s Confidence is hard earned. That is the stuff we don’t see, hundreds of hours spent in training, the holidays missed, all of that adds up to success. It’s an inspiration for every Indian athlete. Because let us be honest, India has never been a sporting power, we don’t get bags of medals, which is why athletes like Neeraj Chopra are so important. The success of our sportspersons shows us that it’s possible for Indians to dominate in elite sports. We can consistently do well at global events. India won gold in the men’s 4x400 metres relay on Wednesday. The same team holds the Asian record. They set the fastest Asian time during this year’s world championship. They finished fifth behind Jamaica, Britain, France and the US. Again, it’s a huge achievement. Relays are a very tough event to ace. But India was the best Asian team at the world championships. And on Wednesday, they reaffirmed that. Consistency is the key. We still have four days to go in this Asian Games. So chances are, there will be more medals. It’s a massive confidence boost for India. Especially ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. India will be looking to carry on this momentum. Of course, all eyes will be on Neeraj Chopra. He will return to the grand stage as a 26-year-old defending gold medalist. It is a huge pressure for anybody. But if anyone can handle it, it is this young man. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost_’s views._ Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.