New beginnings, new heroes: Women lead India’s charge as a new generation shines in Nagoya

Lovlina Borgohain and Neeru Dhanda (Image credit: X) When Neeru Dhanda led the Indian contingent for the final time at the Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium on Sunday night, it was symbolic of how India’s Asian Games campaign has unfolded over the last two weeks.Women came to the forefront – packing shots, jumping to new heights, lifting weights, aiming, towering over opponents with sixes, driving the fairway, finding the fairway and hitting the back of the net. India’s final tally of 85 medals, including 21 golds, may represent a drop from the 106 medals and 28 golds won in Hangzhou. But numbers alone cannot tell the story of these games.There were path breakers everywhere, athletes who pushed through glass ceilings that stood for years. Consequences will be reviews, reflections, reflections and reports. But before the analysis begins, it’s only fair to celebrate those who made these games count.For almost 12 days, the Indian gold rush remained subdued. Then, just as the sun finally started to show in Nagoya, the floodgates opened. Eleven gold medals have arrived in the last two days, turning what threatened to be a disappointing campaign into a collection of stories of courage, resilience and glory.Dhanda, a 26-year-old player from Sangatpura in Haryana, set the tone by winning India’s first individual gold of the Games in women’s trap. The women won 11 gold medals, in addition to the three secured in the mixed events.The contingent had 83 debutants who accounted for 41 of India’s 85 medals – a clear indication of a changing of the guard in several sports.But if one athlete had to be chosen as the face of this change, it would be hard to look further than 17-year-old Kumkum Mohoda. The archer from Maharashtra won two gold medals and a silver, but her greatest achievement went beyond her medal tally.She ended South Korea’s two-decade dominance in women’s recurve by becoming the first Indian to win an individual gold in recurve at the Asian Games. It didn’t take long for her to own the biggest stage of her young career.Her Korean rival Oh Ye-jin, whom Kumkum beat for the individual gold, was also impressed. “She is very poised for a 17-year-old and has a very bright future,” Oh said.Another teenager, Prithika Pradeep, also emerged with two gold medals, adding to the sense that a new generation is starting to emerge. Pranavi Urs became the first Indian woman to win golf gold at the Asian Games.Behind each medal was a story of humble beginnings, survival in sport, overcoming societal pressures and surviving personal tragedies. Thanks to this, the achievements were more than just entries on the medal table.

Return of the girl

They weren’t new to the big stage. They competed in the biggest of them all — the Olympics. But Nagoya offered unfinished business.Lovlina Borgohain considered retiring from boxing after a rough patch after the 2024 Paris Olympics. Instead, she returned to fight her way to gold.Parveen Hooda, returning from a doping ban, produced her own golden comeback. The bronze she won in Hangzhou and then lost became gold in Nagoya.Mirabai Chanu didn’t win gold, but her silver in the 49kg category carried the weight of a champion’s achievement. It also added to her collection of medals from the Asian Games.

Gold standards

The women’s kabaddi team survived a thrilling battle against Iran. The women’s hockey team ended its 44-year wait for Asian Games gold. And Harmanpreet Kaur and her team ensured that cricket gold returned to India.Among the men too, there were performances that demanded attention — Aman Sehrawat in wrestling, Ankush Panghal in boxing and Gulveer Singh in long distance running.However, despite all the celebration, there were glaringly empty seats. Manu Bhaker, one of India’s greatest sporting heroes, returned without a medal.There were many near misses and several disastrous exits. India’s badminton comeback of a solitary bronze was another disappointment, especially with the strong men’s doubles combination of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen in the line-up.Table tennis also raised questions, while equestrian had its own share of disputes between stewards and riders, along with selection concerns, but failed to add to the medal tally.