AICHI-NAGOYA, Sept. 24
India entered the fifth day of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Thursday with medal opportunities spread across wushu, rowing, shooting, canoe sprint and athletics, while its hockey and kabaddi teams faced important group-stage matches.
The day’s programme began early, with rower Balraj Panwar contesting the men’s single sculls Final A at 5:10 am IST, followed by Satnam Singh and Salman Khan in the men’s double sculls final 20 minutes later. India also had crews entered in the women’s four, lightweight men’s double sculls and men’s quadruple sculls medal races.
Wushu fighter Roshibina Devi was among India’s most prominent medal contenders, facing China’s Zhang in the women’s 60kg final at 6:10 am IST. Her place in the final guaranteed India a medal, with Thursday’s bout deciding whether she would finish with gold or silver.
Shooting offered several further opportunities.
Aakash Bharadwaj, Kamaljeet and Kedarling Balakrishna Uchaganve were scheduled to compete in men’s 10m air pistol qualification from 6:15 am, with their combined scores also determining India’s position in the team medal competition.
The individual 10m air pistol final was scheduled for 12:15 pm, subject to qualification.
India was also represented by Parinaaz Dhaliwal and Anant Jeet Singh Naruka in skeet mixed-team qualification. If they progressed, they were due to return for the medal round at 11:15 am.
The event gives Naruka another opportunity after India’s shooting contingent collected medals earlier in the Games. India had won five shooting medals by Wednesday, although it was still seeking its first gold in the sport at these Games.
Canoe sprint could add to India’s medal count during a concentrated morning programme.
Megha Pradeep was entered in the women’s C1 200m semifinal, with the Final A scheduled for 8 am if she qualified. Phairembam Soniya Devi and Parvathy Geetha faced a similar route in the women’s K2 500m, with their semifinal at 6:50 am followed by a possible final at 8:20 am.
India had confirmed places in two other canoe sprint medal races. Harshwardhan Singh Shaktawat, Varinder Singh, L Naocha Singh Oinam and Arun Singh were scheduled for the men’s K4 500m Final A at 8:10 am, while Raju Rawat and Gyaneshwor Singh Philem were due to contest the men’s C2 500m Final A at 8:30 am.
Thursday also brings the main track-and-field programme into focus for India.
Anamika Aneesh Kozhinjaparambil and Pooja begin the women’s heptathlon with the 100m hurdles before moving through the high jump, shot put and 200m during the day.
The mixed 4x400m relay team was scheduled to compete in its opening heat at 7:01 am, with a place in the 6:45 pm final at stake.
India will have two athletes in the women’s triple jump final. Niharika Vashisht and Asha Ilango are scheduled to compete from 4:14 pm, while Seema will line up in the women’s 10,000m final at 5:55 pm.
The men’s 100m campaign also begins on Thursday. Animesh Kujur is entered in the opening heat at 4:38 pm, with Gurindervir Singh competing in Heat 4 at 5:02 pm.
Swimming provides another set of possible finals, although India’s participation in some evening races depends on qualification.
Benedicton Beniston was scheduled for the men’s 50m butterfly heats, with the final at 1:35 pm if he advanced. India’s men’s 4x100m freestyle relay team also faced morning qualification for a possible final at 2:48 pm.
Aryan Nehra was entered in the men’s 800m freestyle Final B, which is a classification race rather than the medal final.
Away from the individual medal events, India’s men’s hockey and kabaddi teams continue their campaigns.
The men’s kabaddi side faces Chinese Taipei at 9:45 am in its final Group A fixture. India entered the match after three consecutive victories, having beaten Japan 49-24, South Korea 63-31 and Bangladesh 48-25 to secure a place in the semifinals.
India’s women’s kabaddi team plays hosts Japan at 4:15 pm.
In hockey, the men’s team faces South Korea at 11:30 am in Pool A. The match follows India’s emphatic 16-1 victory over Sri Lanka and is expected to provide a considerably tougher test as the pool stage develops.
Indian players will also be active in squash.
Tanvi Khanna and Anahat Singh are scheduled for their women’s singles Round of 16 matches at 10:30 am, followed by Abhay Singh and Veer Chotrani in the men’s singles at 11:15 am.
An unusual all-Indian encounter was scheduled in the mixed doubles Round of 16, with Suraj Chand and Shameena Riaz facing Joshana Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar. The result guarantees an Indian pair will progress to the next round.
Table tennis begins with women’s doubles action. Yashaswini Ghorpade and Diya Chitale face Iran’s Setayesh Iloukhani and Mahshid Ashtari, while Sreeja Akula and Syndrela Das meet Mongolia’s Bolor-Erdene Batmunkh and Burenjargal Sanjaa.
Manush Shah begins his men’s singles campaign against Malaysia’s Qi Shen Wong at 8:35 am.
India is also represented in esports, where Paritosh is scheduled to play four Puyo Puyo Champions Group B matches against opponents from Mongolia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei and Thailand.
In boxing, Parveen faces Tajikistan’s Malika Nozimova in the women’s 65kg preliminary round, with the bout expected after 1:30 pm depending on the duration of earlier contests.
Thursday follows a productive fourth day for India in which Mirabai Chanu won silver in the women’s 49kg weightlifting competition, ending India’s 28-year wait for an Asian Games weightlifting medal. India also collected medals in shooting, soft tennis and badminton.
The fifth day offers a broader range of possibilities. Some medals are guaranteed to be decided with Indians in the field, while several others depend on athletes progressing through morning qualification.
For viewers in India, the Asian Games are being streamed on SonyLIV, with television coverage on the Sony Sports Network.
