“How long will Mirabai Chanu be winning medals for us?” Sports Ministry evaluates performance of Asian Games; injury questions, lackluster show

The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Sports Raksha Khadse, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha, Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao and NSF representatives. NEW DELHI: India’s medal haul in disciplines such as athletics and badminton came under scrutiny on Thursday during the sports ministry’s assessment of the country’s Asian Games performance. In a meeting with the National Sports Federations (NSF), Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya questioned the injuries to athletes in reaching Aichi-Nagoya and the lackluster efforts of some high profile athletes.India finished fourth in the medal standings at the 2026 Asian Games, pulling ahead after a golden show in the last two days. India won 85 medals, including 21 golds, at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, significantly less than the 106 medals it won at the previous edition in Hangzhou, China.The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Sports Raksha Khadse, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha, Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao and NSF representatives.The Minister also called on the NSF to be more accountable for sports performance. He reiterated that further synergy needs to be worked to sustain Indian sporting excellence.Mandaviya emphasized that India needed a continuous supply of athletes rather than relying on a handful of medal winners.“How long will Mirabai Chanu alone win medals for us? We need to produce 10 more Mirabai Chanu. Every federation must take this responsibility seriously. We must identify talent, provide proper training and create an environment where athletes can progress to the highest level,” the sports minister said.As reported by TimesofIndia.com last week, injuries to athletes such as hurdler Jyothi Yarraji and triple jumper Praveen Chithravel were highlighted during the meet. This topic was raised by PT Usha when Athletics Federation of India (AFI) advisor Adille Sumariwalla presented his performance analysis.However, the topic was not elaborated further, the goal was an overall view of performance rather than individual cases.Runner Avinash Sable’s fitness came under scrutiny after he missed the start of the 5000m, finishing fourth in his favorite event, the 3000m steeplechase. He was the defending champion in the steeplechase and won silver in the 5000 meters in Hangzhou.Overall, the number of gold medals in athletics was reduced from six to one this time, with the total haul of 24 medals in the discipline being five fewer than at previous Games.The Boxing Federation of India (BFI), basking in a landmark performance that included an unprecedented three golds, promised more if it received “continuous institutional support”.There was no mention of the organization’s current power struggle between president Ajay Singh and minister Pramod Kumar, who have suspended each other over numerous alleged infractions.In addition to athletics and shooting, badminton also came under scrutiny, winning only one bronze in the men’s team. The big disappointment was defending men’s doubles champions Satwiksiraj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty who crashed out in the first round – the result of a partly hectic schedule that forced players to play more than one match in 24 hours.

Focus on LA 2028

In addition to the 2026 Asian Games, the platform has also been used to assess preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2030 Asian Games in Doha.As a way forward, Mandaviya highlighted the need for more sports psychologists, sports science experts and high-performance mental coaches to mitigate the loss of focus that athletes go through when competing on major international stages. He also urged each NSF to introduce more competitions, strengthen the preparation of athletes, work with dedication and also conduct honest assessment of gaps in performance and administration.Minister (Sports) Shri Hari Ranjan Rao mentioned that India must aim for a top three finish in the 2030 Asian Games in Doha, while the 2030 Commonwealth Games to be hosted by India should be seen as a major national challenge.“We have to aim to finish third at the Doha Asian Games. For the 2030 Commonwealth Games, we have to break our own record from the 2010 Commonwealth Games and finish in the top three. As we are hosting the Games, every NSF must take the competition seriously and prepare accordingly. We must take it as a challenge and work towards it from now,” he said.