Team India puts up best-ever show at Asiad, set for maiden century

A GAMES REPLETE with historic firsts, a strong return to podium in sports it had earlier missed, and memorable comebacks will end with another landmark moment for the first time, India will breach the 100-medal mark at the Asiad

- MIHIR VASAVDA

The unprecedented medal haul will also ensure India's best-ever rank at the Asian Games in over 60 years, with fourth place behind China, Japan and South Korea now secured.

India began the penultimate day of competition here with 86 medals. Through the day, the team added nine more to the tally, with medals coming in hockey (gold), archery (silver and bronze), bridge (silver), badminton (bronze), sepaktakraw (bronze) and wrestling (3 bronze), taking the total to 95.

On Saturday, the final day of events before Sunday's closing ceremony, the Indian team has confirmed medals in archery (three), kabaddi (two), badminton and men's cricket.

More are possible in women's hockey and chess.

"We came here with the target of 100 medals but didn't imagine our dream would come true," said India's chef de mission, Bhupinder Singh Bajwa. "Now, we will achieve it easily tomorrow. I congratulate all the players, along with the coaches and support staff, for reaching the target we set out to achieve."