Asian Games 2014: Fewer medals, more smiles, renewed hope

India won fewer medals in Incheon than they did at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, but a closer look at the campaign will tell you that the contingent defied the odds to put up a creditable show.

Winning the gold medal in hockey and squash, and capturing a rare bronze in swimming were the high points for India. There were disappointments too. Take, for instance, the archery recurve teams, boxers, shooters and badminton players. Despite receiving huge sums from the government and Sports Authority of India for training and what not, they came a cropper.

As the curtains came down on the continental extravaganza, India were left were some soul-searching to do. If the numbers are any indication, then India's stature has diminished. In Guangzhou, India won 65 medals (14 gold, 17 silver, 34 bronze) but four years down the line, they got 57 medals (11 gold, 10 silver, 36 bronze).

But the biggest worry could well be the decrease in the number of individual gold winners. Seema Antil Punia (discus throw) and Mary Kom (boxing) are both 31. Wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt will turn 32 next month. The youngest of the lot is shooter Jitu Rai (27). He is the only one expected to be around when Jakarta 2018 comes calling.

Seven of India's gold medals came in team events — men's compound archery, women's 4x400 metres relay, men's hockey, men's and women's kabaddi, men's squash and mixed doubles tennis.

Ask hockey chief coach Terry Walsh and he will tell you how worried he is for not getting enough talented players from the grassroots. The same set of players have been part of the team for a long time. "We started with a team that didn't move in harmony, but now we've got a pretty controlled group of players who can play at the very highest level," he said after his team delivered the gold medal after a gap of 16 years. "It's progress, but the fact is that we need at least five to six players to step up and challenge the players who've been in the team for a long time," he added.

Every other sport is also ailing on this front.

Look at the squash team. With one gold, two silvers and a bronze, they exceeded even their own expectations. But at 28, Saurav Ghosal cannot be expected to win you medals for a very long time. Joshna Chinappa, 28, is in the similar category. The only exception is 23-year-old Dipika Pallikal, who has time on her hands.

The case of archer Deepika Kumar is different from others. At 20, she turned out to be a huge disappointment. Her performance at the 2012 London Olympics was also uninspiring. She could not even beat the lower-ranked Indonesian, Diananda Choirunisa, in the elimination round.

And what about the big-spending shooters. They 43-strong squad brought home just one gold medal.

Ditto with the boxers. Take off Kom's gold, and we are left with just four bronze medals. Yes, the likes of L Sarita Devi suffered at the hands of the International Boxing Association (AIBA), but our pugilists were underprepared and lacked exposure because of their association's malpractices.

The hopefuls
Race-walker Khushbir Kaur, a 21-year-old village girl from Punjab, has announced herself. Kaur won the silver medal in the 20 km event, setting a new national record of 1 hour, 33.07 minutes.

Wrestler Bajrang is another youngster to watch out for. Only 20, he tested Iran's experienced champion Masoud Esmaeilpoorjouybari in the final of the 61 kg event. He was only 40 seconds away from emulating senior pro Yogeshwar. Alas, his inexperience cost him dear.

The men's compound team of Abhishek Verma, Sandeep Kumar and Rajat Chauhan outshone the more popular recurve archers. And how can one forget the bronze medal won by swimmer Sandeep Sejwal (50 metres breaststroke). It was as good as a gold medal.

India's medal break-up
Archery: 4; Athletics: 13; Badminton: 1; Boxing: 5; Hockey: 2; Kabaddi: 2; Rowing: 3; Sailing: 1; Shooting: 9; Squash: 4; Swimming: 1; Tennis: 4; Wrestling: 5; Wushu: 2