The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games came to a close with China topping the medal table for the 12th consecutive time with 341 medals. Japan finished second with 269 medals, while South Korea came third.
India finished fourth in the medal table with 85 medals, winning 21 gold, 27 silver, and 37 bronze medals.
Both the men's and women's national hockey teams clinched gold medals, earning direct entry to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. In shooting and athletics, Indian athletes performed well. Parveen Hooda, Ankush Panghal, and Lovlina Borgohain won gold medals in boxing on the same day.
Players across events such as shooting, athletics, golf and cue sports, archery, squash, and cricket put up gold-winning performances.
While a lot of soul-searching has to be done as to why the country continues to perform poorly in sports, the Games also give hope for the future, with so many young players showing promise in squash, badminton, and shooting as well.
The event, which started on a shaky note with confusion regarding accommodation and food, later became known for sporting excellence as world records were broken in swimming, shooting, and weightlifting.
The next Asiad will be the 2030 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, which will be yet another showcase of sporting excellence.
