India invested significant funds in preparing for the Asian Games, allocating approximately 702.86 billion rupees over the last three years for athlete training, international experience, equipment, coach and expert services. Furthermore, 97.84 billion rupees was allocated through the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), bringing the total government contribution to preparations to 800.70 billion rupees.
This comparison is quite telling, as the Ministry of Sports budgeted 190 billion rupees for World Cup and Asian Games preparations in 2022–23. However, preparations over three years required investments of nearly 800 billion rupees.
A direct question arises: what is the true picture of India in Nagoya after such massive investments? As of September 24, India has won 1 gold, 7 silver, and 9 bronze medals, totaling only 17 awards. Although the overall medal count may seem acceptable, the situation on the medal table is worrying, as India ranks 14th.
The leaders of the table include China with 126 medals, including 78 gold; Japan with 89 medals and 20 gold; and South Korea with 50 medals and 10 gold. Meanwhile, India currently holds only one gold medal, which is a key feature of these games in Nagoya.
At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, India achieved a historic result by surpassing the 100-medal mark, winning 106 medals, including 28 gold, 38 silver, and 40 bronze. India placed fourth, demonstrating its best performance at the Asian Games. Prior to this, India's best result was achieved in Jakarta in 2018, where it won 70 medals.
Thus, Hangzhou represented not just a good result, but a shift in expectations in Indian sports. Now, over 100 medals are considered a standard goal. Although the Nagoya games are not yet finished and final figures are unknown, the initial pace raised a serious question: 28 golds in Hangzhou, but only one in Nagoya so far?
While this comparison does not provide a complete picture, as the competition continues, it indicates that the dominance India showed in previous games was not evident at the start of the current tournament.
India's sole gold medal was won by the women's cricket team, which secured gold for the second consecutive time at the Asian Games by defeating Sri Lanka with a score of 147 runs.
Subsequently, the number of silver and bronze medals increased. Therefore, the question is not whether India is returning empty-handed. The question is much deeper: is India becoming a force capable of claiming gold in Asia, or is it remaining merely a country that wins medals?
The figure of 800 billion rupees is not just a headline. 251.4 billion rupees was spent on international experience, 118.3 billion on domestic training, 89.2 billion on equipment, 86.3 billion on foreign experts, and 39.8 billion on overseas training.
This time, 501 athletes are participating in the competition, 310 of whom are debuting at the Asian Games. The team also includes 265 support staff. This suggests an attempt to prepare not only the current team but also the next generation.
Therefore, decisions about the future cannot be made solely based on the medal table. However, money does not solve all problems. Investments can improve preparation, but they do not guarantee medals. And the Nagoya arena is currently testing these very investments.
India's problem is not just one gold medal. The main question is how many different sports disciplines India has a consistent ability to win gold in? In Hangzhou, shooting and athletics played a major role. Only in athletics were 29 medals won, and in shooting—22. Of these, 7 golds came from shooting, and 6 golds from athletics.
This means that India's strength has indeed increased in certain individual sports, but the question of consistently winning gold across many disciplines, like sporting powers such as China, Japan, and South Korea, remains open.
This is why the fact of winning 17 medals is less important than why there is only one gold among them.
India's history at the Asian Games exacerbates this discussion. Over decades, India has undoubtedly increased its medal count, but the gap with leading Asian powers remains significant. Despite winning 106 medals in Hangzhou, India ranked fourth behind China, Japan, and South Korea. Even at the initial stage of the current games, these three countries significantly outpace India.
Therefore, the next step for India cannot solely be about crossing the 100-medal mark. It needs to ask itself: how many golds? In how many sports? And in which sports can India not just compete, but dominate China, Japan, and Korea?
The Asian Games are not the final destination. They are an important step towards the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Results in some sports at the Asian Games are relevant to Olympic preparation.
