Why Aichi-Nagoya May Actually Be A Better Games For India Than Hangzhou In The Race To LA28

How should we look back at these Games? A success, a failure, or a mixed bag?© Getty

How should we look back at these Games? A success, a failure, or a mixed bag? While most people would call it a mixed bag, it may actually have been a better outing for India than Hangzhou when viewed through the lens of LA28. In Hangzhou, India won 12 gold medals in Olympic disciplines and events that were part of the Paris 2024 programme. In Nagoya, that number has risen to 17. To put that into perspective, India won more gold medals in shooting in Hangzhou. However, several of those came in team events that are not part of the Olympic Games. Since those events are not part of the Olympics, they did little to strengthen India's prospects for Paris 2024.

Athletics offers a similar example. India won multiple gold medals in Hangzhou, but of those champions, only Neeraj Chopra realistically had the potential to medal in Paris. The others were not genuine Olympic medal contenders.

That has changed in Nagoya.

Among India's gold medallists, almost all, with the exception of the women's 4x400m relay team, have a realistic chance of medalling at LA28 if they fulfil their potential and continue to improve. Whether it is Sujeet and Aman in wrestling, Kumkum and the recurve team that defeated Korea, or Chikitha and the compound team that struck gold, each medal offers genuine hope.

In boxing, all three gold medallists defeated world or Asian champions on their way to the title. Lovlina beat the reigning world champion in the semifinal and the reigning Asian champion in the final. Parveen overcame a more fancied opponent in the semifinal, while Ankush, after trailing in the opening round of his semifinal, staged a remarkable comeback to win a very difficult contest.

In shooting, Suruchi and Kamaljeet came close to equalling China's world record and broke the Asian record in the process. Suruchi's score of 245 was, in fact, better than the effective world-record benchmark of 244 (50 per cent of 488). Esha, who battled fever and fatigue during her marathon sequence of five shoot-offs, demonstrated why she is the world No. 1 in her category. Neeru, too, was exceptional and has raised genuine hopes for the LA cycle.

At next month's World Championships in Doha, where Olympic quota places will be on offer, I expect Indian shooters to make a significant impact.

Finally, in women's hockey, India looks like the team to beat at the moment. Apart from the Netherlands and perhaps Argentina, few teams can consistently breach India's defence. Now that qualification has been secured, head coach Sjoerd Marijne has ample time to fine-tune the attack. If things go to plan, it would not be surprising to see the Indian women's team on the podium in Los Angeles.

If India quickly shifts its focus to the Olympic cycle through sports science, high-performance programmes and mental conditioning, there is no reason why LA28 cannot be a better Games for Indian sport than Paris 2024.

The signs are all there. In Olympic terms, Nagoya may actually prove to have been a better Games for India than Hangzhou.

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