The “Iss Baar Sau Paar” campaign in the lead-up to the 2022 Asian Games this year could have been passed off as yet another of those gimmicks that broadcasters try to spoonfeed millions with the reality often far from the heightened promises.

But this time, there seemed to be a quiet undertone of confidence about it, both among the sportspersons and the masses. Not many mocked the slogan; on the contrary, the target looked achievable even by the moderate standards of Indian sports.

It was no surprise then that the drama unfolded as per the desired script. The Indian athletes gave a sparkling account of themselves in the Hangzhou Games from September 23 to October 8 and finished with a tally that was “sau paar”. In fact, much more than that.

With 28 gold, 38 silver and 41 bronze medals, India touched a record-high of 107 Asian Games medals. The previous highest haul was 70, at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games.

This time the contingent was stronger, 655-strong, and it was almost certain that many of them would end up on the podium. But even then, breaching the three-figure mark was a milestone that though achievable, wasn’t that easy. But then, India did it in style, reaching 101 medals on the penultimate day of the meet. By the time the closing ceremony began, that swelled to 107.

Yes, it was at the Asian Games, not the gold standard of the Olympics. But aren’t great distances covered with small steps in the right direction? As a nation, we still don’t belong among the elite in the world of sports. But if till a few years back we were sporting outcasts, we are at least no longer in that position. Not when we can boast of a Neeraj Chopra.

We are still behind China, Japan and South Korea in the Asian context. But we have left behind the likes of Uzbekistan and Iran and are steadily rising upwards.

So the 2022 Asian Games can prove to be a landmark event in India’s quest for sporting excellence.

Leading the way for India in Hangzhou was shooting, which gifted us an unprecedented haul of 22 medals, including seven gold.

Athletics came close second in terms of gold medals. The athletes earned six gold medals, with an overall haul of 29 medals. The highlight of course was Neeraj, but it was his fellow-javelin thrower Kishore Kumar Jena who stole the spotlight with a silver-winning throw.

Parul Chaudhary’s double (gold in 5000m and silver in 3000m steeplechase) also surprised all.

The compound archers, the kabaddi teams and the cricketers also brought gold medals. The men’s hockey gold also secured the team a spot in the 2024 Olympics
in Paris. The women got a bronze.

Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy’s gold in men’s doubles badminton was a first for India and will keep them in high spirits when they travel to Paris for greater glory. The squash players were impressive too.

The wrestlers, however, disappointed. Even though the sport gave six medals, none of them were gold.

Overall, it was happy hunting for India in 2023. The stars shone brighter and the talented entered the orbit to steal a piece of stardom.

But how significant this rich haul is for India? We don’t know, because it’s up to the athletes to maintain their high standards. It’s not easy at the highest level and this success is not a flash in the pan, it has come with a lot of hard work and proper planning from all stakeholders. Losing focus can ruin all that quickly, so the road ahead is not just tough, it’s steep as well.

India’s medal count will see a sharp fall at the Paris Olympics. That’s obvious. But it’s the fight, the will to compete and the hunger to better the best that will count in a few months’ time from now in the French capital.

‘Sau paar’ done and dusted, it’s now time to go above par.