Athletes gave India its greatest Asiad

The Indian sporting fraternity has given the country plenty of reasons to be thankful for this year — right from Manika Batra and her paddler colleagues changing the face of Indian table tennis at the Commonwealth Games to PV Sindhu signing off 2018 with a glittering gold at the BWF World Tour Finals.

But it was India's show at the 2018 Asian Games that brought about the most cheer. The Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang were touted to be a litmus test for India, a reality check following the rich haul of medals from the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games earlier in the year.

If India experienced a high at the Commonwealth Games, it scaled its peak at the Asian Games, the athletes gifting the country its best ever showing at the mega continental sporting event. Indian athletes won 69 medals at the 2018 Asiad — including 15 gold, 24 silver and 30 bronze — bettering their previous best showing of 65 medals at the 2010 Asiad. The country also experienced a gold rush like never before, the 15 yellow metals being the highest ever.

The stars of the show were aplenty, with a variety of sports contributing to the delightful Indian dish that was served.

Athletics had the biggest success stories, ranging from a 12-toed Swapna Barman gifting India its maiden heptathlon gold at the age of 21 to javelin thrower Neeraj Kumar sailing into the record books by becoming the first Indian to win the javelin throw event at the Asiad.

If medals came along thick and fast in athletics in Jakarta, young Indian shooters were fast-tracked to fame in Palembang. Shardul Vihan, all of 15, clinched a silver in men's double trap while 16-year-old Saurabh Chaudhary went a step ahead in the men's 10m air pistol.

The seasoned ones weren't to be left too behind either, with shuttlers Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu erasing India's 36-year-old wait for an individual badminton medal at the Games, the former winning bronze and the latter silver.

Woman power was in full show at the Asian Games, and how. Vinesh Phogat — who won gold in the women's freestyle 50 kg category — became the first Indian woman grappler to win a gold at the Games, while Rahi Sarnobat shot to history by being the first Indian woman to clinch gold in a shooting event in the 25m rapid fire pistol event.

India achieved plenty of other maidens too, winning a bronze in the men's team regular event, which was India's first medal in sepak takraw since the debut of the sport in the 1990 Games.

The country also secured its opening Asian Games medal in table tennis as the men's team sealed a bronze. And like a nice little cherry on top of the cake, India had its oldest gold medallist at the Games, 60-year-old Pranab Bardhan teaming up with Shibhnath Sarkar, 56, to win the men's pair event of the bridge competition.

Thank you, each and every one of those 570 athletes, and especially the 69 medal-winners, for giving India its greatest Asian Games ever.