In a country where cricket eclipses every other sport, the recently concluded Asian Games offered a much-needed reminder of India’s breadth of sporting talent. In this edition of the games, in Japan, India won 85 medals: 21 golds, 27 silver and 37 bronze medals. I admit I did not know many of the players competing, or even some of the sports they play before putting this piece together. Learning about the stories, I wonder why not.
There were individual breakthroughs, records broken and history made. There were also hard-fought team victories, including the Indian women’s hockey team gold medal after a 44-year wait.
Sports broadcaster Siddharth Pandey cited an old saying in the world of sport: “You cannot be what you cannot see.” For Pandey, one of the most heartening sights was families and communities rallying around the four female players from the north-eastern states. (The region has endured decades of conflict and is often overlooked in the national conversation.) “We simply cannot underestimate the impact these games and medals have on future generations taking up non-cricketing sport and wanting to excel in it,” he told me.
Recognition is also important. Vidya Pillai, the first Indian woman to win a snooker world championship has spoken about her sport not getting the attention or respect it deserves. She felt unacknowledged following her 2023 feat, despite the fact that it came after six unsuccessful world finals and she beat two former world champions along the way.
Behind India’s medal glory are dozens of athletes and families who have struggled financially, trained with limited facilities, and often without much institutional support.