SHINING BRIGHT - INDIA'S GOLDEN GIRLS AT THE ASIAN GAMES

The recently-concluded Asian Games witnessed an exceptional display of skill and talent by India's women athletes, rewriting sporting history for the country.

- By Kayal Arivalan

The 2022 Asian Games (postponed from last year) at Hangzhou, China, proved to be a significant outing for India, with the country reaching 100+ medals for the very first time at the prestigious event. India finished fourth on the medals table with 107 medals in total, including 28 gold, 38 silver, and 41 bronze medals. India was the best-performing nation in archery, kabaddi, cricket and field hockey, and the second-best performer in athletics, shooting and squash – a huge feat. Several remarkable women athletes clinched medals across various disciplines, many of them creating history with their performances.

It was raining medals, especially gold, in shooting, which set the momentum for Team India at the Asian Games. Esha Singh, the young shooter from Hyderabad, secured one gold and three silvers, the maximum individual medals in the games – four – a feat also achieved by Madhya Pradesh shooter APS Tomar. Another young shooter, Palak Gulia from Haryana, won one gold and one silver. The women shooters went all guns blazing, quite literally from the word ‘go’, winning both individual medals and team events, keeping the medals tally for Team India ticking.

A historic – and unexpected – gold came in the equestrian event. The Indian equestrian dressage team, consisting of Anush Agarwalla, Hriday Chheda, Divyakirti Singh, and Sudipti Hajela, secured the gold – the first in 41 years! The last time India secured an equestrian gold was back in 1982 during the Delhi Games, and this victory in Hangzhou has rekindled the glory of that era.