India roared back into the top 10 of the medal table on Day 10 of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, crossing the 50-medal threshold in a display of grit and tenacity. Battling both elite international competition and relentless, inclement weather, the Indian contingent secured two crucial gold medals on Tuesday, effectively ending a two-day gold drought that had tested the nation’s patience since the kabaddi double-triumph on September 26.
As the dust settled on a rain-soaked Tuesday, India’s tally stood at 53 medals—six gold, 21 silver, and 26 bronze. While the path to the podium has been difficult, the resilience shown by athletes across disciplines suggests a team finding its rhythm during the most crucial phase of the Games.
Neeru Dhanda Braves the Elements for History
The standout performance of the day belonged to shooter Neeru Dhanda. In a display of extreme composure, Dhanda tackled the miserable conditions—characterized by incessant rain and failing light—to claim the women’s trap individual gold. Her performance was nothing short of clinical; Dhanda tallied 28 hits in the final, establishing a new Asian Games record.
This victory marks a watershed moment for Indian shooting, as Dhanda becomes the nation’s first-ever women’s trap champion at the Asian Games. It also represents the first individual gold for India on the shooting range in these Games. The day was further bolstered by Dhanda joining forces with Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer to secure a silver medal in the women’s trap team event, proving the depth of the current Indian shooting squad.
Women’s Relay Team Reclaims Athletics Glory
As the sun began to set, the athletics track at Aichi-Nagoya provided the stage for India’s second golden moment. The women’s 4x400m relay quartet—comprising Kiran, Prachi Choudhary, MR Poovamma, and Vithya Ramraj—delivered a masterclass in pace and hand-offs, crossing the finish line in 3:29.69 to clinch the gold.
The win was a poignant one for the veteran of the group, 36-year-old MR Poovamma, who added this medal to the gold-medal relay successes she helped secure in 2014 and 2018. For Vithya Ramraj, the gold provided a storybook ending to her campaign, coming on the heels of her record-breaking run in the 400m hurdles, where she bettered the long-standing national record held by the legendary PT Usha.
Gulveer Singh Enters Elite Company
While the relay team stole the spotlight, track star Gulveer Singh etched his name into the annals of Indian sporting history. By taking bronze in the men’s 5000m, the 19-year-old completed a remarkable medal treble, having already secured silver in both the 10,000m and 1500m events.
Gulveer joins the legendary Lavy Pinto—who won three medals at the inaugural 1951 Games—as only the second Indian man to achieve a treble of track and field medals at a single Asian Games. The athletics contingent rounded out the day with a mixed 4x100m relay bronze and a bronze for the men’s 4x400m relay team, ensuring that despite the absence of gold in other track events, the campaign finished on a high note.
Boxing, Volleyball, and Archery Charge Forward
The boxing ring proved to be a hotbed of Indian success as well. Ankush Panghal ignited the crowd by staging a stirring comeback against the reigning 75kg world champion, Uzbekistan’s Fazliddin Erkinboev. His 4-1 victory earned him a spot in the 80kg final, ending an eight-year wait for an Indian male boxer to reach an Asian Games final. Parveen Hooda joined him in the gold-medal hunt after a dominant 5-0 shutout of China’s Li Shu in the women’s 65kg category. With six medals now guaranteed, the Indian boxing team has officially surpassed their previous record of four.
On the volleyball court, the men’s team pulled off a miracle. Trailing by two sets against a formidable Qatar side, the Indians surged back in a marathon encounter that spanned two hours and 47 minutes. Their 3-2 comeback victory (26-28, 25-27, 25-23, 25-20, 24-22) cemented an undefeated run through the group stage and secured a spot in Thursday’s quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, the Indian archery team made waves in the recurve events. The highlight was Neeraj Chauhan’s stunning upset of three-time Olympic gold medalist Kim Je Deok, 6-4, in the 1/8 elimination round. Archery teammates Dhiraj Bommadevara and Kumkum Mohod Anil also cruised into the quarterfinals, signaling a growing threat in the bow-and-arrow disciplines.
Squash and Tennis Keep the Momentum
The Indian women’s squash team continued their cruise through the group stages with a 3-0 sweep of Iran, with veteran Joshna Chinappa and Anahat Singh leading the charge. They now turn their eyes to a high-stakes quarterfinal clash with Singapore on Wednesday.
On the clay courts, tennis players Dhakshineswar Suresh and Sumit Nagal navigated rain-interrupted schedules to book their places in the pre-quarterfinals. While the day brought frustration for the cycling squad, who failed to progress in their respective team events, the overall trajectory of India’s Day 10 performance was overwhelmingly positive. With the medal count climbing and momentum building, the Indian contingent has firmly announced its intent to close out these Games with a final, forceful push.
Disclaimer: This content is auto-generated for informational purposes only.
Source: Read Original News
