The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event that occurs every four years, bringing together athletes from various Asian countries. The governance of the Games was initially under the Asian Games Federation (AGF) from their inauguration in New Delhi, India, in 1951, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games, the responsibility for organizing them shifted to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) following the dissolution of the Asian Games Federation. Acknowledged by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Asian Games are recognized as the second-largest multi-sport event globally, after the Olympic Games. Throughout the history of the Asian Games, nine nations have hosted the event, and a total of forty-six nations have participated. Notably, Israel, which participated until 1974, was excluded from subsequent Games. The most recent installment of the Games occurred in Hangzhou, China.
On the 13th day of the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, India secured a bronze medal in the women’s recurve archery event by defeating Vietnam with a score of 6-2. Subsequently, in the women’s kabaddi semifinal, India achieved a dominant victory against Nepal with a final score of 61-17, thereby securing a spot in the final and achieving their highest score of the Games.
In wrestling, both Sonam and Aman emerged victorious in their respective pre-quarterfinal matches, progressing to the next round. The Indian women’s compound archery team executed an impressive comeback to narrowly defeat their rivals from Chinese Taipei, resulting in India securing its second gold medal in archery. With this triumph, India’s total medal count now stands at 86, inclusive of 21 gold medals, 32 silver medals, and 33 bronze medals. However, in women’s badminton, PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medalist, faced a setback as she couldn’t secure a victory in the singles match during the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou.
The Indian men’s cricket team secured a spot in the final, guaranteeing at least a silver medal, after defeating Bangladesh in the semifinal by 9 runs. They successfully chased down 97 runs within 10 overs. Meanwhile, the Indian women’s kabaddi team dominated Nepal in the semifinal, ensuring at least a silver medal. The much-anticipated India vs. Pakistan rivalry in kabaddi will unfold when the men’s team competes at 12:30 PM IST. Despite a challenging start, the Indian wrestlers, led by Bajrang Punia, aim to secure medals for the country as their bouts commence at 7:30 AM IST. With medals already assured, HS Prannoy in men’s singles and the duo of Satwik-Chirag in men’s doubles are looking to progress to the final by winning their respective semifinal matches.
