Asian Games 2023: Anju Bobby George predicts 'huge haul of medals' in athletics

Olympic champion and javelin superstar Neeraj Chopra will be the centre of all attention as India start their athletics campaign in the Asian Games on Friday. The team will be aiming to surpass the medal count of 20 achieved in the last edition. Chopra was slated to lead a 65-strong team. In the 2018 Asian Games, athletics had contributed 20 medals (8 gold, 9 silver, 3 bronze) to India’s total of 70. Anju Bobby George, who created history when she clinched a bronze medal at the 2003 World Championships in Paris, feels that the Indian contingent is set for a “huge haul”. “All the athletes are well prepared and though I would not want to put a number to it, it will be a huge haul in athletics. I am expecting a medal in every discipline," she said in a virtual media interaction organised by Sony Sports Network. “In long jump Shaili (Singh), (Murali) Sreeshankar, Jeswin (Aldrin) are all doing exceptionally well. Javelin too, has apart from Neeraj, a strong medal prospect in Kishore Jena.” On being asked who can win gold medals for India, she replied: “Jumps, throws, relay, Avinash Sable. All of the athletes will try to get medals, especially gold.” Anju added that a good performance by India at the Asian Games will be ideal preparation for the Paris Olympics which takes place in 2024. “Within a few months, there are the Olympics, so they have to prepare. In terms of medals, we have to see how many we can get. Another question is how many will be gold. I think, if they do well here that will help as they can actually perform better at the Olympics. It is an indicator of our preparation for the Olympics,” she said. Anju also spoke about her protege, Shaili Singh, who missed out on gold at the Asian Athletics Championships in 2023. “Shaili is just this 19-year-old. The silver medal was a setback for her because of her injury but after that, she bounced back she started training and she recorded a 6.76m jump this year. After that, unfortunately, she got COVID and she was getting back again. But now she’s all well and she’s getting ready,” Anju said. “I don’t want to push her beyond her capacity because she can touch seven metres of course but we don’t need now. In maybe one or two years we can achieve that but everything is going at a steady pace.” For the young athletes who will take part in the Asian Games for the first time, Anju advised them to view it as a stepping stone toward the Olympics and World Championships. Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games is being broadcast LIVE on Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 2, Sony Sports Ten 3, Sony Sports Ten 4, and Sony Sports Ten 5 channels (SD & HD) with Hindi and English commentary and will be live streamed on Sony LIV.