Five historic moments in Asian Games for India featuring Sachin Nag, Neeraj Chopra's triumphs

With the 19th Asian Games, all set to take center stage in the coming days, India will look to lay their marker yet again as the biggest contingent in history makes its way to Hangzhou in China. Over the years several chapters have been written in the glorious history of the nation at the Asian Games, so to look back at the past here are five moments.

Independent India became the first nation to host the Asian Games in 1951 as then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru took the initiative to bring the games. India finished second in the medals tally with 15 gold medals compared to Japan’s 24. India also ended the Asian Games with 51 medals comprising 15 gold, 15 silver, and 20 bronze medals.

An unknown quantity for many, Sachin Nag became the Indian to win a gold medal at the Asian Games when he won the 100-meter freestyle event in swimming. Nag, to date, is the only Indian to win a gold medal in Asian Games for India in swimming. He ended the Games with three medals, a gold along with two bronze medals.

In a historic moment, Team India won the football gold medal beating Iran 1-0 in the final. Sahu Mewalal scored the winning goal in the contest as the golden period of Indian football continued for another decade. The Indian football team would then play in the Olympics of 1956 and 1960 before clinching another gold medal in the 1962 Games in Jakarta.

In the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok, Kamaljeet Sandhu scripted history by becoming the first women first Indian woman to win an individual medal. She won the gold medal in the 400 meter event having completed the race in 57.3 seconds.

In 2018 India’s Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal in javelin throw as he started a glorious period in his career. Neeraj’s throw of 88.06 meters was then a career-best for him beating the national record of 87.43 meters held by him. He would later win the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo in 2021.