India is aiming to scale new heights at the Asian Games after their best-ever medal count in the previous edition of the event. The 2023 edition of the Asian Games will start today in Hangzhou, China and go on until October 8.India is sending its biggest ever contingent to the nineteenth edition of the Asian Games, with a 655-member team in 41 different disciplines out of 61. The games will be played across 56 different venues, offering 481 gold medals, as per Olympics.com.Though the games will officially kick off on September 23, sports like cricket, beach volleyball, football and volleyball started on September 19. The mens team will be led by Ruturaj and womens cricket team will be led by Smriti Mandhana, who will be making their debut at the event. The mens cricket teams will start their campaigns on September 27 and the final will be played on October 7.Schedule for Asian Games in Cricket.– All the best Ruturaj & his team. pic.twitter.com/tOwcK6u1GA— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) September 19, 2023 India will be sending its largest squad in track and field events, a contingent of 68 players. Harmanpreet Singh and Lovlina Borgohain will be the flag bearers of India at the Asian Games 2023.Highly rated athletesAthletics competitions will start from September 29 to October 5, and the final event of the mens javelin throw will be played on October 4. Olympian Neeraj Chopra, badminton star PV Sindhu,wrestler Bajrang Punia, boxer Lovlina Borgohain and weightlifter Mirabai Chanu are also among the players at the Asian Games, and Indians are expecting them to shine again.The badminton games will be played from September 28 to October 7. Lakshya Sen, the Commonwealth winner, and HS Prannoy, who won bronze, will be on the 19-member Indian squad led by Sindhu. On September 30, Chanu, a former World Champion and silver medalist from Tokyo 2020, will compete in the womens 49 kg weightlifting event at the Asiad. The defending champion in mens 65 kg freestyle wrestling, Bajrang Punia, who won bronze at Tokyo 2020, will compete on October 6.Boxing will be a qualifying event for the Paris Olympics next year at the Asian Games. Nikhat Zareen, a two-time world champion who is currently competing in the womens 50 kg division, will begin her campaign on September 24. Lovlina Borgohain will represent India in the womens 75 kg division beginning on September 26. The last boxing match will take place on October 5.
