Asian Games: From Neeraj Chopra to Avinash Sable, top Indian medal contenders in Hangzhou

The much-awaited Asian Games finally gets underway in China’s Hangzhou on 23 September. The Games was scheduled to be held in 2022, but was eventually postponed to 2023, owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

Asian Games 2023: Complete schedule of events, live streaming details

India will field a total of 655 athletes in the Asian Games across 40 disciplines. The largest contingent is from athletics with 68 athletes.

Having said that, there will be a lot of medal prospects for India this time out. Last time around, in Jakarta in 2018, India had finished in eighth place, with 70 medals (16 gold, 23 silver and 31 bronze).

Asian Games 2023: New sports introduced and the ones making a return

Who can contend for medals this time out? Let’s take a look:

Neeraj Chopra

Neeraj Chopra is in the form of his life at the moment. The Tokyo Olympics gold medallist added another feather to his cap this year after he won gold at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. He also finished second in the Zurich Diamond League tournament in August, and just before the Asian Games, will be competing in the Diamond League Finals in Euguene this week.

Asian Games 2023: Neeraj, Satwik-Chirag and other top Indian medal contenders

Neeraj Chopra will look to replicate his success from the 2018 Asian Games, with another fine performance in China.

Praggnanandhaa

R Praggnanandhaa, the young chess prodigy, is coming off fighting a challenge against Magnus Carlsen in the FIDE Chess World Cup, and come the Asian Games, he will be a strong contender for gold medal.

Chess is making a return to the Asian Games after 13 years, and the Chennai youngster could not have asked to make a better mark in the continental event.

Tajinderpal Singh Toor

He has been prone to injuries in the last few years, but shotputter Tajinderpal Singh Toor remains a strong contender for gold medal at the Asian Games. e has

Tajinder had emerged victorious in the 2018 edition of the Asian Games in Indonesia, and this time he will look to defend the title.

In July, Tajinder won gold at the Asian Athletics Championship, but injuries remain a concern after he sustained a groin injury during the tournament.

Avinash Sable

Avinash Sable had failed to qualify for the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, and would be looking to make up for it with a fine performance in China.

In the Silesia Diamond League in July, Sable finished in sixth place in the 3000m steeplechase event, and will hope to do better in the Asiad.

He then finished fifth in the Xiamen Diamond League in September.

Like Sreeshankar, Sable has opted to skip the Diamond League final in Eugene.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty

The Satwik-Chirag duo have taken badminton by storm in the recent years. The pair have already won the Indonesia Open and the Korea Open this year, and will be looking to add another medal to their collection with a possible gold at the Asian Games.