With 71 Medals, India Breaks Its Own Asian Games Record

New Delhi: Archery pair Ojas Pravin and Jyothi Surekha’s clinching the gold medal in the mixed team compound final, marked the Indian contingent’s going past its previous best of 70 medals in the history of the Asian Games. The duo beat South Korea in the Asian Games 2023 on Wednesday. In the 2018 Games, India won a total of 16 gold, 23 silver, and 31 bronze medals. In the 2023 event, the Indian contingent has claimed 16 gold, 26 silver, and 29 bronze medals so far, while a few more medals are already assured in different events.

Shooting and Archery have by far been India’s best medal events so far in the Asian Games. In shooting, India won a total of 22 medals while athletics has already earned the nation 23 medals, while more are to come.

Indian race walkers Manju Rani and Ram Baboo fetched a bronze medal in the 35km mixed race walk event early on Wednesday to help India match the 2018 Jakarta Games’ performance.

Compound archers Ojas Deotale and Jyothi Surekha Vennam then grabbed India’s 71st medal when they won the mixed team gold medal.

“It is with great pleasure that I would like to state that India has forged its impression with the best ever medal haul in the Asian Games by crossing the 70 mark in medals tally and there are more to come,” India’s chef de mission Bhupender Singh Bajwa said.

Notably, India has sent its largest-ever contingent with an aim to cross the 100-medal mark at the continental showpiece.

‘Aab ki Baar, Sau Paar’ (which translates to crossing 100 medals this time) has been India’s catch line for the Hangzhou Games.