As the Asian Games were nearing their final stage, India won 10 medals in a single day on Friday — 6 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze.
Indians impressed by winning gold in women’s hockey after 44 years and gold in recurve archery for the first time. For the first time in the current Games, India won 10 medals in a single day. With 6 golds in that haul, it has also moved up to 5th place in the medal standings.
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Hockey
In the women’s hockey final, India defeated reigning champions and Olympic silver medalists China 1-0 to become champions. With this, the Indian women’s team won gold in the Asian Games after 44 years in the event’s history and also qualified for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
In the 10th minute of this match, Lalremsiami scored a superb goal with a reverse-stick strike to give India the lead. On the other hand, in the goalpost area, India’s goalkeeper Bichu Devi stood like a fortress, effectively thwarting China’s relentless attempts to score and ensuring the team’s victory.
It is worth recalling that the Indian women’s team last won gold at the Asian Games in 1982, and after that, they reached the final in 1998 and 2018 but returned with silver.
Boxing
India’s three competitors impressed by winning gold. In the women’s 75 kg category final, Lovlina Borgohain defeated China’s Ji Bai 5-0 to receive the gold as a birthday gift. It is worth recalling that she won silver last time.
In the women’s 65 kg category, Parveen Hooda defeated Chinese Taipei’s Nien Chin Chen 3-2. Although Parveen had won bronze last time, her medal was stripped for violating anti-doping testing rules; this time, she has impressed by winning gold.
India has won gold in women’s boxing at the Asian Games for the first time in 12 years. The last time was in 2014, when Mary Kom won the gold medal.
In the men’s 80 kg category, Angush Pangal defeated South Korea’s Ninsiong Kim 4-0. Angush became the first Indian to win gold in the men’s category at the Asian Games since 2018. Before this, Amit Pangal had won gold that year. It is also noteworthy that Angush won gold at this year’s Commonwealth Games as well.
With this, India topped the boxing medal tally in the competition with a total of 6 medals — 3 gold and 3 bronze. This is India’s highest-ever gold haul in boxing in Asian Games history. Previously, India had won 9 medals, including 2 golds, in 2010.
Archery
In the recurve women’s team final, the Indian team comprising Kumkum Mohoth, Ankita Bhakat, and Keerthi Sharma defeated 10-time world champions South Korea 5-3 to clinch the gold medal. Notably, this is India’s first gold medal in the recurve category at the Asian Games.
In the recurve mixed team event, the pair of Kumkum Mohoth and Dheeraj Bommadevara lost to China 3-5 and settled for the silver medal.
In the men’s team event, the Indian team comprising Dheeraj Bommadevara, Yashdeep Boge, and Neeraj Chauhan lost to South Korea 1-5 and won the silver medal.
With this, India’s medal tally in archery at the ongoing Asian Games has risen to 7, with 4 golds, 2 silvers, and 1 bronze.
Wrestling
In the men’s freestyle 65 kg final, Sujeet Kalkal defeated Tajikistan’s Abdulmajid Kudiev 10-9 to clinch the gold medal. This is Sujeet’s first gold at the Asian Games. It is noteworthy that Sujeet has emerged champion in all 3 competitions he has competed in over the past year.
In the women’s 50 kg category, despite losing in the quarterfinals, Deepanshi Bhogat got a chance in the repechage round because Japan’s Yui Susaki, who defeated her, advanced to the final. Deepanshi then defeated Cambodia’s Samnang Dit 10-0, but lost 4-11 to Kazakhstan’s Zaynab Bayanova in the bronze medal match.
In the women’s 76 kg category, Priya Malik, and in the men’s 125 kg category, Rajat Ruhal, were eliminated in the quarterfinals itself.
Sailing
In this sailboat category, in the women’s dinghy final, India’s Nethra Kumanan won the bronze medal with 14 points. In this sport, where the competitor with the fewest points is crowned champion, Thailand’s Sophia Montgomery won gold with 5 points, and Singapore’s Jania Ang won silver with 13 points.
For Nethra, who hails from Chennai, this was her 4th Asian Games, and she has won her first medal.
Meanwhile, in the men’s category, Vishnu Saravanan finished 4th and narrowly missed out on a medal.
Sepaktakraw
In the men’s quadrant division semifinals, India lost to Japan 12-15, 13-15 and exited with the bronze medal. The women’s team lost 0-2 to Thailand in the group stage.
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Golf
In the women’s individual stroke play, India’s Pranavi Urs is aiming for gold with a solo lead on 195 points. Diksha Dagar and Aditi Ashok are in 18th and 19th place, respectively. In the team event, the Indian team of the three of them is in second place with 409 points.
In the men's individual stroke play, Veer Alawat (204) and Sabtak Talwar (205) are in 10th and 11th place, respectively. Yuvraj Sandhu is in 23rd place. In the team category, India is in 6th place.