Nagoya: India finished fourth in the overall medal standings at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after securing 85 medals, including 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze. India had also finished fourth at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou.
China topped the standings, followed by hosts Japan and South Korea. The Games were held under the official theme, “Imagine One Asia”.
To recognise India’s strong performance, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has introduced two new awards for the outstanding male and female athletes of the Games. IOA president P.T. Usha announced the Raja Randhir Singh Award for the best male athlete and the Jaspal Rana Award for the best female athlete, named after two prominent figures in Indian sport.
The inaugural Jaspal Rana Award went to 17-year-old archer Kumkum Mahod, who made an impressive Asian Games debut with three medals, including two golds. Along with Ankita Bhakat and Kirti, she won the women’s recurve team gold, ending South Korea’s seven-edition winning streak in the event dating back to the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games.
Mahod subsequently won individual recurve gold, further challenging South Korea’s long-standing dominance in the women’s recurve events. Her performance also secured an Olympic quota place for India for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Usha said Mahod was a fitting first recipient of the award, recalling that Jaspal Rana had also emerged as a promising athlete at the 1994 Asian Games. She praised Mahod’s composure under pressure and ability to perform in difficult situations, describing the result as an important milestone for Indian archery.
The Raja Randhir Singh Award for the best male athlete went to wrestler Sujeet Kalkal, who won gold in the men’s 65kg freestyle category.
The 23-year-old defeated reigning Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka of Japan in the semi-final before producing a dramatic comeback against Tajikistan’s Abdulmajid Kudiyav in the final. Trailing 2-9 at one stage, Kalkal fought back to win 10-9 in the closing stages.
His victory continued India’s strong record in the Asian Games 65kg wrestling category, following gold medals by Yogeshwar Dutt in 2014 and Bajrang Punia in 2018.
The IOA said Mahod and Kalkal will be formally honoured at a ceremony in the coming days.
Doha Next
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games concluded on October 4, with the Asian Games flag formally handed over to Qatar, marking the beginning of the countdown to the 2030 Doha Asian Games.
The closing ceremony was held at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, the same venue that hosted the opening ceremony on September 19.
