Confident Indian athletes won’t fear rivals at Asian Games: Sports Minister
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday urged Indian athletes to compete fearlessly and turn pressure into performance as the country prepares for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.
Addressing the Indian contingent at the elimination ceremony organized by the Indian Olympic Association, Mandaviya said he was confident that the country’s athletes would continue India’s upward trajectory at the continental event.
A 503-member contingent is to represent India in the upcoming Asian Games. Several athletes and teams attended the ceremony, although members of the hockey squads and some top athletes were absent as they had either already traveled to the Games venue or were in the final stages of preparations.
Mandaviya said India’s recent progress at the Asian Games reflected the growth of the country’s sports ecosystem and urged the athletes to build on the momentum created in recent years.
MEDAL GROWTH IN FOCUS
The sports minister pointed to India’s significant improvement between the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon and the 2023 edition in Hangzhou.
India won 57 medals in Incheon and recorded 107 medals in Hangzhou, a 53 percent increase in the total. The increase in gold medals was even greater, with Mandaviya recording a 75 percent jump.
“We won 57 medals in Incheon Asian Games in 2014, but in 2023 we won 107 medals. An ecosystem has been created for sports in the country. It was the result of dialogue at the federation and government levels. This continuous dialogue has brought change,” Mandaviya said.
He also highlighted India’s success at the Asian Para Games, where the country won 111 medals in 2023 in Hangzhou.
While acknowledging the progress made, Mandaviya said India still had considerable room for improvement.
“Medals have been increasing year by year, but we have much more potential. There is no shortage of manpower or talent in the country,” he said.
Mandaviya expressed confidence that a strong performance in Aichi-Nagoya could further boost India’s sporting ambitions.
“The success of the athletes also becomes the success of the nation. We have a contingent of 503 athletes competing in the upcoming Asian Games. I am confident that we will put up a good performance that will bring a quantum change in the sports sector,” he said.
PRESSURE TO PERFORM
Mandaviya’s main message for athletes was confidence.
He urged the Indian athletes not to see their opponents as a threat but as an opportunity to test themselves and fight for medals.
“I am sure Indian athletes will not be afraid of their opponents. This should become our mentality. Convert the pressure to performance and look at the opponents as an opportunity to win medals,” said Mandaviya.
The sports minister’s remarks come as India looks to build on its best-ever campaign at the Hangzhou Asian Games, where the country crossed the 100-medal mark for the first time.
IOA president PT Usha, sports federation officials, administrators and representatives of ministries were present at the announcement ceremony.
As the contingent prepares for the next big continental challenge, Mandaviya’s challenge was clear: India has made significant progress, but now has to focus on taking the country’s sporting standards even higher.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
08 Sep 2026 23:43 IST