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| PT Usha |
The following are the top Indian performances at the Asian Games over the years:
ATHLETICS
PT Usha, 4 golds (Seoul 1986)
Born at Payyoli in Kozhikode in 1964, Usha was the queen of the Indian track for many years. After finishing fourth in the 400m hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Usha bagged five gold medals and a bronze in the Asian athletics meet in Jakarta in 1985. She then garnered four gold medals and a silver in Seoul, 1986. Here she created Asian Games records in three of the five events she participated in. Usha took gold in the 200m, 400 m, 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay. No Indian ever has reached such heights in the history of the Asian Games.
Usha’s golds in 1986 — 200m (23.44, Games record), 400m (52.16, Games record), 400m hurdles (56.08, Games record), 4x400. Current Games records — 200m: Damayanti Darsha, Sri Lanka (22.48), 1998 Bangkok; 400m: Damayanti Darsha (51.13) 2002 Busan; 400m hurdles: Xue Pen, China (55.26), 1994 Hiroshima.
Milkha Singh, gold (Tokyo 1958)
Born at Layallpur, now in Pakistan, in 1935, Milkha Singh shot into the limelight during the 1956 National Games in Patiala. Two years later he shattered the 200- and 400m records at the National Games in Cuttack. The same year he established records in the 200- and 400m at the Tokyo Asian Games. Known as the ‘Flying Sikh,’ Milkha also finished fourth in the 1960 Rome Olympics, but his Tokyo performance will always be remembered for his pipping the great Pakistani runner Abdul Khalique. Khalique was regarded as one of Asia’s best, but Milkha won it with ease.
Milkha’s gold — 400m (47.00, games record). Current Games record: Fawzi al-Shammari, Kuwait (44.93), 2002 Busan.
TC Yohannan, gold (Teheran 1974)
Born in Kerala in 1947, long jumper Yohannan turned out to be one of the best athletes India has ever produced. In the 1974 Teheran Asian Games, Yohannan cleared 8.07m to set an Asian Games record. That jump also remained an Indian record for 30 years. Finally in 2004, Punjab youngster Amritpal Singh broke it with a jump of 8.08m.
Yohannan’s gold — Long jump (8.07m). Current Games record: Hussein Taher al-Sabee , Saudi Arabia (8.14m), 2002 Busan
BOXING
Dingko Singh, gold (Bangkok 1998)
One of the most outstanding boxers India has ever produced, Dingko defied odds at every stage to emerge winner in the 54kg category in Bangkok. After achieving his first international success in the King’s Cup where he was declared the best boxer of the meet, Dingko won the Asian Games bantamweight gold in the 54 kg class, thrashing world No. 2 Timur Tulyakov of Uzbekistan. In the semi-finals, Dingko got the better of world No. 3 Wongprates Sontaya of Thailand.
FOOTBALL
Gold (Jakarta 1962)
This was one of the best shows by the Indian football team abroad. The hostile crowd booed the Indians throughout the final, but the team, led by Chuni Goswami, dished out a remarkable performance to beat mighty South Korea 2-1. India took a 2-0 lead in the first half with P.K. Banerjee and Jarnail Singh scoring the goals. In the second half, Koreans pulled one back, but the Indian defence held on. Coached by Syed Abdul Rahim, the 1962 Indian team is regarded one of the best in the history of Indian football.
Golds — 1951 and 1962.
GOLF
Shiv Kapur, gold (Busan 2002)
When golf was introduced at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi and Laxman Singh won the gold, everyone felt it was only a ploy on the part of the host country to add a gold medal to their tally. After that no other Indian achieved much in Asian Games golf. But the arrival of Shiv Kapur, who bagged the Busan 2002 gold, changed the story. Since then, he has turned pro but it was the turning point in the recent upward trend of Indian golf.
HOCKEY
Gold (Bangkok 1998)
India had always been regarded as one of the favourites in Asian hockey, but won the Asian Games title only twice — in 1966 and 1998. The one in 1998 was the most creditable as Pakistan and South Korea were widely expected to pip India to the title. Yet, the Indians, led by Dhanraj Pillai scored an upset victory over South Korea in the final. The biggest shock, however, came when the Indian hockey Federation (IHF) sacked half a dozen senior players and the coach MK Kaushik immediately after the Asian Games.
Gold — 1966 and 1998.
SHOOTING
Jaspal Rana, gold (Hiroshima 1994)
Indian shooters are now winning medals in all major international meets, but Jaspal Rana set this trend when he won India’s first international shooting gold in the Hiroshima Asian Games in centre-fire pistol. Rana set an Games record at Hiroshima, scoring 588 out of 600. Four years later, in Bangkok, he had to be content with a silver and a bronze.
Jaspal’s gold: Centre-fire pistol.
SWIMMING
Khazan Singh, silver (Seoul 1986)
Khazan Singh is arguably the most outstanding swimmer India has ever produced. But for long, Indian swimmers have been mere pushovers in international meets. However, Khazan stunned the world by clinching the 200m butterfly silver at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games. Before this, Bengal ’s Sachin Nag won a gold in 100m freestyle in the first Asian Games in 1951, but the competition then was not of very high standard.
Khazan’s silver — 200m butterfly (2:02.38). Games record — Wu Peng, China (1.56.63) 2002 Busan.
WRESTLING
Kartar Singh, 2 golds (Bangkok 1978, Seoul 1986)
Kartar Singh learned his wrestling under Guru Hanuman. He won quite a few medals in various international meets, but his best came at the Asian Games. Kartar thrice participated in the Asian Games, winning a gold in 1978 ( Bangkok ) and 1986 ( Seoul) and silver in 1982 (Delhi ). In 1978 and 1982, Kartar won his medals in the 90kg category. By 1986, Kartar had moved to 100kg category and still won the gold.
Note: The following are the Asian Games records currently being held by Indians:
1500m — Sunita Rani, 4.06.03 (2002 Busan). Discus throw — Neelam Jaswant Singh, 64.55m (2002 Busan).