The Asian Games is set to kickstart on September 23 in Hangzhou and India will be sending its biggest ever squad of 655 athletes. The country will be contesting across 40 disciplines, including individual and team events.The Indian contingent will hope to improve its performance as compared to the previous edition of the Asian Games in Indonesia, where India clinched 16 gold, 23 silver and 31 bronze medals.The tagline of the Indian sqad is Aab ki Baar, Sau Paar (Crossing 100 medals this time), and the fans, critics, and whole sports community are expecting to surpass the tally of 70 medals in the previous edition in Jakarta and Palembang.Lets take a look at 10 athletes who are the biggest medal prospects for the nation in Hangzhou:Neeraj Chpora (mens javelin throw)The golden boy, Neeraj Chopra, will attempt to defend the gold medal he won at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. With a tremendous throw of 88.06m, the Indian claimed the first spot on the podium in Indonesia. Neeraj has since won the World, Olympic, and Diamond League titles.The strongest chance for gold in athletics lies with the 25-year-old Olympic and world champion. Due to his legendary status, Neeraj may have an easy time holding onto the gold medal he won in 2018.Nikhat Zareen (boxing, womens 50kg)The Telangana boxer is Indias best chance for a medal in the boxing group. In the previous two years, Zareen has had an unbelievable run in the flyweight (50 kg) division.She has also added two Strandja Memorial titles, a gold medal from the Commonwealth Games, and two world championship victories. Given that the Asian Games serve as an Olympic qualifying event, she will be anxious to add yet another gold to her collection and will be even more excited to stand atop the podium.Indian mens hockey teamAs the winner of the Asian Games receives automatic entry for the Olympics, the Indian mens hockey team will strive to move past the heartbreak of a bronze medal from Jakarta 2018 and win gold this time.The Indian team has experienced a number of ups and downs since the last Asian Games. India won bronze in Tokyo in 2021 and then silver at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham the following year to end a 41-year Olympic medal drought.It took the team some time to adjust after a dismal showing at the World Cup hosted at home earlier this year and with the change in coach, Graham Reid, being replaced by Craig Fulton, it has recovered form at the perfect time.HS Prannoy (badminton, mens singles)Over the past 12 months, HS Prannoy has been the most consistent performer, making him Indias top-performing singles player.His achievements include winning the Malaysia Masters in May, finishing as the runner-up at the Australian Open, and securing a bronze medal at the World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark. He achieved his career-best world ranking of sixth recently.Indian mens and womens cricket teamsBoth Indian mens and womens cricket teams are debuting at the Asian Games in Hangzhou and will enter the events as the favorites for gold.India has sent a second lineup for the event, as the main squad will be participating in the ODI World Cup. The 15-member mens team will be led by Ruturaj Gaikwad.Smriti Mandhana will serve as the womens squad captain, as Harmanpreet Kaur is facing a two-match ban after the International Cricket Council suspended her for her outburst during an ODI against Bangladesh. If the squad doesnt make it to the championship, Harmanpreet cannot rejoin it.Jyothi Surekha Vennam (Compound Archery)One of the most decorated Indian archers is Jyothi Surekha Vennam, who has participated in the Asian Games before, in 2014 and 2018, where she took home silver and bronze medals in the team competitions. The Vijayawada compound archer, 27, may win numerous medals in various competitions in Hangzhou.Jyothi, Parneet Kaur, and Aditi Swami won Indias first gold medal ever in the World Championships in Berlins womens team competition this year. After looking at the current form, it is highly anticipated that she will bring the medal home.Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (Badminton, Mens Doubles)In the mens doubles rankings, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are third in the world. Since last year, the pair have been in fantastic form. Before being a member of the Indian team that won its first Thomas Cup, they won the 2022 India Open.Prior to winning a record bronze medal at the World Championships, they also won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.The pair has won the Asian Championships as well as the Swiss Open, Indonesia Open, and Korea Open this year, making them an unstopable force in the event. Mirabai Chanu (weightlifting, womens 49kg)Mirabai Chanu is one of the biggest medal prospects and has won two golds and one silver so far at the Commonwealth Games. She became the world champion in 2017 and achieved her biggest milestone as the silver medal in the Tokyo Olympics.Although it will be difficult for Mirabai to win the gold in her division—which also includes world champion Jiang Huihua and the incumbent Olympic champion Hou Zhihui—it is nevertheless anticipated that she will at least place third.Antim Panghal (wrestling, 57kg)In her weight category, Antim Panghal is a strong contender to get a place on the podium. The wrestler hails from Hisar and has successfully won the most recent trials for the Asian Games and the World Championships. She created history by being the first female wrestler from India to win back-to-back junior world championships, demonstrating her skill in both the physical and mental demands of the sport.Avinash Sable (Mens 3000m Steeplechase)Avinash Sable definitely stands a decent chance of taking a medal home. Sable may not have left a lasting impression at the World Championships last month, but he choose to put more effort into preparing for the Asian Games by skipping the Diamond League championship.Avinash Sable now holds the national record with a time of 8 minutes, 11.20 seconds and won a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. His best time this year is 8:11.63, which places him behind Miura Ryuji of Japan (8:09.91, Seasons Best) in second place among Asian athletes.
