Asian Games officially conclude: India cherish fourth-place finish

Nagoya: The 20th edition of the Asian Games held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan came to an end here on Sunday. The continental showpiece concluded with a spectacular closing ceremony held at the Paloma Mizuho stadium in Nagoya.

People’s Republic of China ranked first on the table with a total of 341 medals, including 169 golds, 89 silvers and 83 bronze medals. The hosts Japan positioned behind China on the table with 269 medals - 83 gold medals, 95 silver medals and 91 bronze medals.

India finished fourth in the rankings, securing 85 medals, out of which 21 were gold, 27 silvers and 37 bronze medals. The campaign ended as India’s second-largest medal haul behind the 106-medal tally of the Hangzhou Games 23, including 28 golds. Neeru Dhanda and Kumkum Mohod lead the charts for India with 3 individual medals each: 2 golds and a silver.

Despite challenging circumstances, the organisers claim the event to be a massive success. OCA Director General Husain Al-Musallam pointed out that the records set at the Games are the result of effective organisation, while asserting that the Aichi-Nagoya Games are a successful model of sustainability and financial viability.

"This achievement does not come without the best environment. The athletes cannot perform if they don't have transportation. The athletes cannot perform if they don't have good healthcare. The athletes cannot perform if they don't eat food. Number talks, it's evidence. We are here to present you the evidence."

"We are happy to see that there is no big financial burden in the organising committee, and there is no white elephant staying in Nagoya or any place," Al-Musallam added.

The next edition of the Asian Games will be held in 2030 and will be hosted by Qatar in Doha.