India clinched an impressive total of nine medals and is on the cusp of achieving a historic milestone with a tally exceeding 100 medals at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. The highlight of the day was the men’s hockey team’s remarkable gold medal victory, marking a significant moment in India’s journey in this multi-sport extravaganza.
INDIA’s MEDALISTS ON DAY 13
| Men’s hockey team | Gold |
| Archery Recurve Men’s Team | Silver |
| Bridge Men’s Team | Sliver |
| Archery – Recurve Women’s Team | Bronze |
| Badminton – Men’s Singles (HS Prannoy) | Bronze |
| Sepaktakraw – Women’s Regu | Bronze |
| Wrestling | 3 Bronze medals |
| Men’s 57kg freestyle | Aman |
| Women’s 62 kg freestyle | Sonam |
| Women’s 76 kg freestyle | Kiran |
India is poised to surpass the previous best of 70 medals achieved at the Jakarta Asian Games earlier this week, firmly establishing a new benchmark at the Asian Games.
In a spectacular display of prowess, Indian women excelled in various sports, including hockey, badminton, archery, bridge, sepaktakraw, and wrestling, contributing significantly to India’s impressive run at the Asian Games in Hangzhou.
To cap off the day on a high note, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty etched their names in history by becoming the first men’s doubles pair to reach the badminton final at the Asian Games.
Following their bronze win at the Tokyo Olympics, India continued their upward trajectory with a sensational performance at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. The men’s hockey team, led by Harmanpreet Singh, dominated the final against 2018 champions Japan, securing a resounding 5-1 victory and the coveted gold medal. Equally significant, this win secured India’s spot in the upcoming Paris Olympics, eliminating the need for a lengthier qualification process. Coach Craig Fulton can take pride in this dominant display. It was India’s fourth gold medal in men’s hockey at the Asian Games, with previous victories in 1966, 1998, and 2014. Four years ago, India secured a bronze in the Jakarta Asian Games.
In a parallel achievement, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty kept the nation’s hopes alive for a historic badminton gold by advancing to the men’s doubles final. Ranked third in the world, the duo displayed exceptional skills, outclassing Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, who were Tokyo bronze medalists and former world champions, with a score of 21-17, 21-12 in just 46 minutes. This victory marked the first time an Indian men’s doubles pair guaranteed a silver medal at the Asian Games. Satwik and Chirag, Commonwealth Games gold medalists, will face Korea’s Choi Sol Gyu and Kim Won Ho in the final, holding a 2-0 record against the Korean team.
On the other hand, despite battling a back injury, Prannoy faced defeat in the semifinals, losing 16-21, 9-21 to China’s Li Shi Feng, the reigning All England champion, but still secured a bronze medal.
In archery, India secured a silver medal in the recurve men’s team event after a challenging final against South Korea at the Fuyang Yinhu Sports Centre Final Field. Although India trailed 2-0 after the first set, they made a comeback in the second set, finishing 57-57, ultimately resulting in a 3-1 score.
The Indian women’s recurve archery team, consisting of Ankita Bhakat, Bhajan Kaur, and Simranjeet Kaur, displayed remarkable resilience after a semifinal loss to Korea earlier in the day. They triumphed over Vietnam in the bronze medal match with a score of 6-2, contributing to India’s strong presence in archery, where they have already secured three gold medals.
In cricket, the Indian men’s team secured a spot in the final of the Asian Games 2023 by defeating Bangladesh with a convincing nine-wicket victory at the Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field in Hangzhou. India bowled brilliantly to restrict Bangladesh to 96 runs, and they comfortably chased down the target with nine wickets in hand, with Tilak Varma scoring fifty.
In a surprising turn of events, Pakistan was stunned by Afghanistan in the second semifinal.
Despite India’s impressive performance in wrestling, star wrestler Bajrang Punia, a Tokyo Olympic medalist, failed to secure a medal. He faced a tough challenge from young Japanese wrestler Kaiki Yamaguchi, who defeated Bajrang by technical superiority in the bronze medal match, preventing him from adding to India’s wrestling medal count at the Asian Games.
