There were several factors at play at the 2017 Asian Championships in Bhubaneswar where India finished with their best-ever haul of 12 gold, five silver and 12 bronze medals. While the youthfulness of the winning athletes was a positive sign, the victories must be seen for what they are: a stepping stone, but not a guarantee for future success.
A young podium
Among the most heartening aspect of India's performance at the Asian Championships was how overwhelmingly young the medallists were. Ajay Kumar Saroj, winner of the men's 1500m, is 20 years old. Amoj Jacob, who was part of the men's 4x400m relay, is 19. Neeraj Chopra, who shattered a national record in the men's javelin throw, is yet to turn 20. Swapna Barman, who set a new personal best in the women's heptathlon, is 21, as is Muhammad Anas, who won gold in both the men's 400m as well as the 4x400m relay. PU Chitra, who won the women's 1500m, and Nirmala Sheoran, who claimed the women's 400m, are both 22 years old. These athletes' careers are only getting started and most will likely hit their peak in the coming years.
Ending a drought
A number of medals came in events where India had endured a barren run for many years. The last gold before Saroj's in the 1500m came at the 1989 championships, while the men's 4x400m relay team won the first gold medal since the 1985 edition. Chopra's win in the javelin throw was the only time India has ever won a gold in the event apart from Jagdish Kumar Bishnoi's win in 2000. Remarkably, each of these gold medals came through athletes who were competing at their first Asian Championships. The victories were proof that the talent pool existed in a number of events once given up for dead.
Note of caution
But former athletes advised caution given the nature of competition and the number of false dawns the sport has seen in the past. "We shouldn't be carried away with our performance in Bhubaneswar," says Anju Bobby George, who won the women's long jump event at the 2005 Asian Championships. "A number of teams from Japan and China sent a second- or third-string squad to the championships. This isn't the fault of our athletes. They competed against whoever was there, but we should be careful about how we treat our performance." Many of the athletes won their events in times that are far slower than even the Asian standard. G Lakshmanan won the 5,000m race in 14:54:48 seconds, nearly a minute and a half slower than the winning time (13:34:47 seconds) from Wuhan. His winning time in the 10,000m (29:55:87 seconds) was more than a minute slower than that in Wuhan (28:50.71 seconds). Many athletes who skipped this event will be training for the World Championships next month, where far tougher competition can be expected.
Modest expectations
As such it is unlikely to see these performances replicated at the World Championships. While a number of athletes were able to secure automatic qualification for the World Championships owing to winning the continental event, most -- with the exception of the men's and women's 4x400m relay teams -- failed to match the qualifying standard for the London event. Indeed, not all of the five athletes who secured direct qualification for London -- Lakshmanan, Saroj, Chitra, Sudha Singh and Barman -- might ultimately be sent for the world event. Their performances at next week's Inter State Athletics Championships will be taken into account before the selection committee finally makes a decision on July 20.
Stepping stone
The reduced competition aside, there was much to learn for the athletes. "The biggest concern for many of our athletes is the fact that they never get a lot of exposure," says George. "The competition in Bhubaneswar was a chance for them to perform in front of a big crowd and deal with the high expectations they had. This is an experience that will help them in the future." The tournament is simply a stepping stone for bigger achievements in the future. "So many athletes are starting their careers and have proved they have the ability to compete," she says. "Their performances might not be a world-level one right now but they need to be supported right from this stage. We can't wait for them to establish themselves further. They need to get as much competition as possible so that they have a chance to compete with the best in the world in the next couple of years."