India Wins Back Hockey Gold and Ticket to Paris Olympics, Set to Cross 100 Medals
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 6: India dominated over Japan to clinch the men’s hockey gold and the ticket to Paris Olympics and the nation is on course to cross a historic century of medals at the Asian Games at Hangzhou in China on Friday.
A dominant Indian men’s hockey team thrashed defending champions Japan 5-1 to reclaim the Asian Games gold medal after nine years and qualify for next year’s Paris Olympics. The Indians, who had to be content with a bronze medal in the last edition in Jakarta, thus won their fourth Asian Games gold and first since the 2014 Incheon edition. India’s other gold medals came in 1966 and 1998, both times in Bangkok.
Harmanpreet Singh (32nd, 59th minutes) scored a brace through penalty corners, Amit Rohidas (36th) also sounded the board from a set-piece, while Manpreet Singh (25th) and Abhishek (48th) found the net from field efforts to register the famous victory for India. Seren Tanaka converted a penalty corner for Japan in the 51st minutes to register the loser’s only goal.
Hockey was India’s 22nd gold in the Hangzhou games, already six more than 16 India had bagged in the last edition of Asian Games in Jakarta and is on course to cross 100 marks for the first time in any Asian Games so far.
India have already won 95 medals with seven other medals assured to get past the historic mark of 100. India are set to get more medals in compound archery (3), kabaddi (2), badminton (1) and men’s Cricket (1).
India’s Sonam and Kiran won bronze medals in Women’s 62kg Freestyle wrestling after beating China’s Jia Long. In Sepaktakraw, the women’s regu team clinched a historic bronze after going down to Thailand in the semi-final. India are assured of two more silver medals after the men’s and women’s kabaddi teams reached the final. In archery, the men’s recurve team won a silver medal, while the women’s recurve team bowed out with a bronze. The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led men’s cricket team entered the final of the Asian Games, assuring the nation of at least as silver medal. They will take on Afghanistan, which defeated Pakistan in the semi-final on Friday, in the final on Saturday.
This is also the first time in the history of the Asian Games that won more than 20 gold medals. So far, India have also claimed a record 22 gold medals, surpassing their previous best at the continental event. India shone in disciplines like shooting and athletics.
This 19th Asian Games has been historic for India in many other terms as well. This was the first time that the Indian men’s and women’s cricket teams played at the continental event. While the women’s team clinched a gold medal, the men’s team is expected to follow suit on Saturday.
Athletics had the biggest impact on India’s tally this edition. The discipline earned India a total of 29 medals out of which 6 were gold, 14 were silver and 9 were bronze. Shooting was another discipline that helped India clinch 22 medals; 7 gold, 9 silver and 6 bronze.
In equestrian, India won a gold medal after 42 years, be it in the individual or team events. Games like sailing and rowing too helped India’s cause to a great extent. In badminton men’s team event too, India claimed a historic silver medal. The team lost to China in a hard-fought final.
