Armed Forces athletes accounted for 32 per cent of India’s total medal haul and 28.57 per cent of its gold medals

New Delhi, October 12 (HS): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday felicitated Armed Forces athletes in New Delhi for their best-ever performance at the recently held Asian Games in Japan. The athletes representing the Indian Armed Forces made a significant contribution to India’s overall tally of 85 medals by winning 27 medals at the Games held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Commending the athletes for their discipline and dedication, the Defence Minister praised their achievement of six gold, 11 silver and 10 bronze medals.

Prahlad Joshi, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, also attended the event, which was organised to celebrate the Armed Forces’ finest performance in international sporting competitions to date.

A total of 92 athletes from the three services competed in 19 sports, playing a significant role in India’s fourth-place finish. Overall, the Indian contingent won 85 medals, comprising 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze medals.

Interacting with the athletes at the event, Rajnath Singh attributed their success to discipline, hard work, team spirit and a commitment to sporting excellence. He emphasised that the journey to winning medals involved immense dedication, early-morning training sessions, gym workouts, injuries, recovery and persistent effort.

Addressing the athletes who had participated in the Games, the Defence Minister said that every participant had contributed in some way to bringing honour to the country and the Defence Forces. Expressing confidence in their abilities, he said their achievements would continue to inspire future generations.

Rajnath Singh highlighted the crucial role played by the Mission Olympic Wing in identifying promising athletes, nurturing their potential, providing scientific training and world-class sporting facilities, and preparing them for international competitions.

He also acknowledged the contributions of coaches, support staff, physiotherapists, nutritionists and the athletes’ families, stressing that no champion achieves success alone.

Armed Forces athletes accounted for 32 per cent of India’s total medal tally and 28.57 per cent of the country’s gold medals.

Among the outstanding performers was Naib Subedar Neeru Dhanda, who won two gold medals and one silver medal. She became the first Indian woman to win gold in the individual women’s trap event at the Asian Games.

Naib Subedar Gulveer Singh won two silver medals and one bronze medal, becoming the first Indian male track-and-field athlete to win three individual medals at a single edition of the Asian Games.

Havildar Sawan Barwal won silver in the men’s marathon with a national-record time of 2:11:37, ending India’s 44-year wait for a marathon medal at the Asian Games.

Naib Subedar Sarvesh Kushare also secured a historic medal for India in the men’s high jump, ending a 56-year gap since the country last won a medal in the event.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar