How Did India Achieve Asian Games Glory, While Myanmar Struck Gold in Hangzhou?

HANGZHOU, China — On Wednesday, India celebrated its most successful Asian Games by winning a gold medal in archery, despite the fact that the continental showpiece in Hangzhou, China was beset with another doping controversy.

Ojas Pravin Deotale and Jyothi Surekha Vennam beat out South Korean archers to win gold in the mixed team compound event in Hangzhou, which is a non-Olympic sport. This victory gave India their 71st medal overall, surpassing their previous national record of 70 medals, which they achieved at the Jakarta Games five years ago.

"With 71 medals, we are celebrating our best-ever medal tally, a testament to the unparalleled dedication, grit, and sporting spirit of our athletes," India Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X, which was formerly known as Twitter. "With 71 medals, we are celebrating our best-ever medal tally," Modi added.

Boxing brought India some additional minor medals, which it added to its total. When Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra competes in the javelin later on Wednesday, there is a good chance that India will win yet another gold medal in the athletics competition.

The growing power in Asia will need to work hard to catch China, which is racing towards 170 gold medals after taking the titles in boxing and freestyle roller skating at these games, which are being held in China.

Li Qian of China, the runner-up in the women's middleweight boxing competition at the Tokyo Olympics, won the gold medal in the 66-75 kilogramme division with a unanimous decision over Lovlina Borgohain of India, the world champion in that weight class.

It was a case of Li turning the tables on Borgohain, who had previously won the middleweight world championship in March by defeating the Chinese fighter in the semi-finals.

Due to a knee injury, Pakistan's first athletics world championship medallist Arshad Nadeem was forced to withdraw from the Games. This prevented him from competing in a javelin duel with Chopra, the athlete who defeated him to win the world title in Budapest. Read More!