Other side of Asian Games success: 201 athletes won just 6 bronze, 137 returned empty-handed

A Times of India audit reveals that despite India's fourth-place finish and 85-medal haul at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, 137 Indian athletes across 16 disciplines returned without medals. Additionally, 64 competitors across six sports managed only six bronze medals, meaning a total of 201 athletes produced just six bronze medals across 22 disciplines.

India achieved an event-to-podium conversion rate of just 7.7 percent, winning medals in 20 of 259 contested events. The government spent approximately Rs 703 crore during the preparation cycle from November 2023 to August 2026, including major allocations to disciplines like badminton, cycling, and fencing that had limited podium success.