Sports - as a Professional Career for Young Indians


According to the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, India sent a total of 655 athletes to the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China, across 40 different sporting disciplines. The largest contingent was in athletics with 68 athletes. This Indian contingent was the largest ever for an Asian Games by India. India won 107 medals for the first time in the history of the Asian Games. The Indian contingent won 28 gold, 38 silver, and 41 bronze medals. It was a historic moment for India as they crossed the 100-medal mark at the continental extravaganza for the first time. 

The Indian women athletes performed exceptionally well, and it shows the capability of the country’s daughters. The Indian men’s and women’s cricket teams played at the continental event for the first time, with the women’s team clinching a gold medal. 

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. India shone in disciplines like shooting and athletics. 

This Asian Games was historic for India in many other terms as well. Equestrian brought home a gold medal after 42 years, be it in individual or team events. Games like sailing and rowing too helped India’s cause to a great extent.

It is indeed a proud moment for India as the Indian contingent won more than 100 medals for the first time in the history of the Asian Games. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the athletes and said that the presence of younger athletes among medal winners is a sign that India has become a sporting nation. The success of the Indian contingent is expected to inspire many young Indians to pursue sports as a professional career.

India has been participating in the Asian Games since its inception in 1951, and it was held in India that year. In that edition, India secured second place in the medal tally with 51 medals, behind Japan. One can say, that India was a strong sports powerhouse in the early years of the Asian and Olympic Games era.

In 2023, India participated in 61 different disciplines and won medals in 22 disciplines, which is about one-third of the total available disciplines. 


The ratio of medals per population for India is at 1.33 Crore/medal, which is ranked 34 amongst all nations that participated in the recently concluded Asian Games 2023. A young nation like India can certainly do much better than this ratio. There is indeed a lot for young Indians to achieve in future sports events, and this Asian Games certainly seems to be a pivotal moment for the sports movement in India.

In 28 categories, the Indian team/individuals won gold medals in the 2023 Asian Games.

1. Shooting, Men's 10m Air Rifle Team: 

2. Indian Women's Cricket Team: First-ever Asian Games gold medal in cricket.

3. Equestrian, Team Dressage: This was a gold medal that was 41 years in the waiting, after the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi.

4. Equestrian, Individual Dressage:  The first individual medal for India in Equestrian.

5. Shooting, Women's 25m Pistol Team

6. Shooting, Women's 50m Rifle 3 Positions Individual final. With a World Record score of 469.6.

7. Shooting, Men's 10m Air Pistol Team 

8. Shooting, Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions Team, with a World Record effort. Their overall score stood at 1769, 8 more than the previous mark set by the USA.

9. Shooting, Women's 10m Air Pistol Individual.

10. Tennis, Mixed Doubles

11. Squash, Men's Team.

12. Shooting, Men's Trap Team: Registered the Asian Games record score of 361.

13. Athletics, Men's Shot Put.

14. Athletics, 3000m Men's Steeplechase Final: Avinash Sable won the gold medal in men's 3000m steeplechase. He registered the Asian Games record timing of 8:19:50s.

15. Athletics, Women's 5000m.

16. Athletics, Javelin Throw.

17. Archery, Mixed Doubles: Clinched archery's first gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games.

18. Athletics, Javelin Throw: Neeraj Chopra prevailed in an intense and stirring duel with compatriot Kishore Jena to successfully defend his gold medal

19. Athletics, Men's 4x400m relay team. Broke the national record.

20. Archery, Women's Compound Team.

21. Squash, Mixed Doubles. First-ever gold medal in the event at the Asian Games.

22. Hockey, men's team: India defeated defending champions Japan 5-1 to win the men's hockey gold medal at Hangzhou and qualify for next year's Paris Olympics.

23. Archery, Women's Compound Individual. 

24: Ojas Pravin Deotale, Men's Compound Individual. 

25: Women's Kabaddi. India clinched the gold medal in the women's kabaddi final to take the overall medal tally to 100.

26: Men's Kabaddi. - A traditional strength of the Indian team.

27: Badminton, Men's Doubles: Star men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty earned India's first-ever badminton gold medal at the Asian Games with a straight-game win over South Korea's Choi Solgyu and Kim Wonho in Hangzhou.

28. Men's Cricket: The Indian men's cricket team clinched the gold medal on its Asian Games debut after their final.

There is a lot for young Indians can achieve in future sports events, and this Asian Games certainly seems to be a pivotal moment for the sports movement in India.

Great opportunity for Sports persons, Sports Management Professionals, Coaching Professionals, Physios, Trainers, Data Analytics Professionals, Sports Journalists, Sports Administrators, Sports Broadcasting Professionals, and all related activities in the world of sports.

Want to learn more?

Ask for a 1:1 career counseling with me.

 

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