Rajnath Singh honours Services athletes after their best Asian Games haul of 27 medals

India’s armed forces sent 92 athletes to the Asian Games in Japan, and they came home with 27 medals. On Monday Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met them at an event in New Delhi to mark what the Defence Ministry called the Services’ best performance at the Games.

The athletes from the Army, Navy and Air Force won six gold, 11 silver and 10 bronze across 19 disciplines. That accounts for 32% of the 85 medals India won at Aichi-Nagoya, and 28.57% of its 21 golds. India finished fourth on the medal table.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth were among those present.

The soldiers who stood out

Naib Subedar Neeru Dhanda led the way with two golds and a silver in trap shooting. Her win in the women’s individual trap, with an Asian record score of 28, made her the first Indian woman to take that title at the Asian Games. She added mixed team gold with Kynan Chenai and a team silver, and carried India’s flag at the closing ceremony.

Naib Subedar Gulveer Singh became the first Indian male track and field athlete to win three individual medals at one Asian Games: silver in the 1,500m and the 10,000m and bronze in the 5,000m, from four races in five days.

Havildar Sawan Barwal won silver in the men’s marathon in a national record of 2:11:37, India’s first Asian Games marathon medal in 44 years. Naib Subedar Sarvesh Kushare won a medal in the men’s high jump, India’s first in the event in 56 years.

Singh’s message

Singh praised the athletes’ discipline and team spirit and credited the Mission Olympic Wing, which identifies talent and provides scientific training and facilities. He spoke of the early mornings, punishing fitness work, injury rehabilitation and long spells away from family that go into a medal, and also recognised the athletes who came back without one, along with coaches, physiotherapists, nutritionists and families.

He said the government would keep up a “sustained focus on infrastructure, modern training facilities and better opportunities for athletes”.

Next stop, Los Angeles

Singh asked the athletes and their trainers to start preparing now for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with a systematic approach and higher targets. He said he was confident the Services “would deliver an even stronger performance”.

India’s overall tally of 85 medals in Japan, from a 503-member contingent, fell short of the record 107 it won at Hangzhou in 2023.