21 golds in stunning late rush: India finish Asian Games with 85 medals in Japan

NEW DELHI, OCT 3 : India’s Asian Games campaign ended on a golden note as the men’s hockey team beat Malaysia 5-1 in the final on Saturday, October 3. It was India’s 21st gold medal and 85th overall, securing another top-five finish at the quadrennial multi-sport event.

India’s overall medal tally fell by 21 from the previous edition, while the gold-medal count was down by seven compared to the 2022 Hangzhou Games. India had won 106 medals in Hangzhou, crossing the 100-medal mark for the first time. The Aichi-Nagoya campaign was a mixed bag, with some expected results giving way to disappointments before a strong finish changed the complexion of the campaign.

There was, however, plenty of credit in India’s late medal rush. As recently as Thursday, India were outside the top 10 in the medal table with just 10 gold medals. But over the final two days, the hockey and cricket teams delivered gold, while India also enjoyed spectacular results in archery, boxing and wrestling. The late surge brought 11 more gold medals and propelled India into the top five, giving the campaign a much-needed lift before the Games drew to a close.

-PTI