Indians are utterly stunned. Prior to the Games, the Indian delegation had confidently declared ambitions to finish in the top three of the medal table at this Asian Games. Yet just a few days into competition, the nation’s viewers have been overwhelmed by a relentless stream of Chinese gold medal announcements.

As of September 29, the medal standings at the Nagoya Asian Games have proven starkly unforgiving: China leads with 132 golds, Japan follows with 41, South Korea with 21, while India currently holds only four golds, placing it around 12th. Before the Games began, India had set goals to finish within the top four, with some media and public discourse amplifying expectations to “challenge for third place.” The team had publicly stated a target of at least 20 gold medals and a total medal count surpassing the 107 achieved at the Hangzhou Asian Games.

However, India’s first gold came later than expected, and performance in key pre-Games focus areas—shooting, athletics—proved inconsistent. It was only through strong showings in sports such as cricket and kabaddi that the gold tally gradually rose to four. What truly underscores the disparity is the depth of China’s medal-winning potential: diving, table tennis, weightlifting, shooting, artistic swimming, track and field, and esports have all produced multiple podium finishes. China has maintained a commanding lead across nearly every competition day, often adding double-digit or near-double-digit golds daily. For audiences from other Asian nations, this constant flow of Chinese triumphs dominates the information landscape—a psychological burden on competing teams.

Historically, a top-three finish at the Asian Games typically requires between 80 and 100 gold medals. India has never come close to this threshold in past editions. Traditional strengths in Indian sports—shooting, badminton, wrestling, boxing—yield a limited number of golds, and these events are fiercely contested by China, Japan, South Korea, and Iran. As such, India’s prospects of securing a top-three finish remain slim; the likely podium remains dominated by China, Japan, and South Korea.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1877630602207239/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.