India’s lower-than-expected medal haul in high-yielding disciplines like athletics and badminton was scrutinised at the Sports Ministry’s review of the country’s Asian Games performance here on Thursday, with questions raised about injured athletes travelling to the mega-event.
The meet was chaired by Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and was attended by Minister of State for Sports Raksha Khadse, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President P T Usha, Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao, Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) CEO NS Johal and representatives of the National Sports Federations (NSFs). The review also aimed to plan ahead for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
India won 85 medals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, including 21 gold, significantly fewer than the 106 medals it won at the previous edition in Hangzhou, China.
“The Minister was very clear that there is no dearth of resources and the NSFs can no longer complain about financial support. The federations have to deliver. They have to not just make presentations but deliver on the ground,” a top official present at the meeting told PTI.
“But there were no major fireworks per say. The federations presented their insights, and the Minister asked them to plan ahead.”
It is reliably learnt that Usha raised concerns about injuries to key athletics stars such as hurdler Jyothi Yarraji and triple jumper Praveen Chithravel, which were stunningly revealed during the Games, when Athletics Federation of India (AFI) advisor Adille Sumariwalla presented his analysis of the performance.
“At this point, the Minister intervened to say that instead of specific cases, the focus should be on analysing the overall performance,” the source said.
Even star runner Avinash Sable’s fitness status was under the scanner after he did not start the 5000m race following a fourth-place finish in his pet event, the 3000m steeplechase. He was the defending champion in the 3,000m steeplechase and won silver in the 5,000 m race in Hangzhou.
Overall, the gold count in athletics was down from six to one this time. The total haul in the discipline was also lower, with 24 medals, which was five less than the number achieved in the previous Games.
Later, in a press release issued by the Sports Ministry, it was also stated that Mandaviya urged the NSFs to ensure that there is a steady flow of young talent going forward.
“How long will Mirabai Chanu alone keep winning medals for us? We need to produce 10 more Mirabai Chanus. Every federation must take this responsibility seriously.
“We have to identify talent, provide the right training and create an environment in which athletes can progress to the highest level,” Mandaviya said, referring to the Manipuri weightlifter who claimed a silver in Aichi-Nagoya.
Mandaviya also emphasised the need for more sports psychologists, sports science experts, and high-performance mental trainers to mitigate the loss of focus athletes experience when competing on major international stages. He also urged every NSF to introduce more competitions, strengthen athlete preparation, work with dedicated commitment, and honestly assess gaps in performance and administration.
The Boxing Federation of India (BFI), celebrating a landmark performance that includes an unprecedented three gold medals, promised to deliver more with “continued institutional support”.
The BFI is currently embroiled in an internal power struggle between its President, Ajay Singh, and Secretary, Pramod Kumar, who have suspended each other, citing multiple violations.
However, none of the administrative mess came up for discussion during the review meeting.
The National Rifles Association of India (NRAI) was represented by its Secretary Pawankumar Singh.
The performance of shooters, especially in pistol, was relatively poor this time, with double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker ending medal-less.
India won 11 of its 21 gold medals in Aichi-Nagoya on the last two days of the competition. Archers, the men’s and women’s hockey teams, boxers, and women golfers were the star performers.
In contrast, badminton yielded only one men’s team bronze. A major disappointment was defending men’s doubles champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty exiting in the first round. The performance was partly attributed to a hectic schedule, which led players to compete more than one match in the space of less than 24 hours.
The Sports Ministry, before the Games, had stated that over Rs 700 crore had gone into preparing the athletes in a three-year cycle. India had sent a 501-strong contingent of athletes to the Games.
Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao said India must aim to finish among the top three at the 2030 Asian Games in Doha. He also said that the 2030 Commonwealth Games, which India is scheduled to host in Ahmedabad, should be treated as a major national challenge.
“Since we are hosting the Games, every NSF must take the competition seriously and prepare accordingly. We must treat this as a challenge and work towards it from now,” he said.