Gold medalist team India captain Harmanpreet Singh (right) and teammates celebrate on the podium during the awards ceremony of men's hockey at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Oct 6, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

HANGZHOU, China - India's modest Olympic achievements have long stood in contrast to its massive population but sporting officials say the sleeping giant has stirred at the Asian Games.

Five years ago at the continental showpiece in Jakarta, India finished eighth on the medal table with their best-ever haul of 70 medals, including 16 golds.

In Hangzhou, Team India soared past 80 medals on Wednesday with four days' competition to spare, soaking up glowing reports in national media and praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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After being topped by the likes of Chinese Taipei, Uzbekistan and Indonesia in Jakarta, India were fourth on the medal table on Thursday behind the dependable top three of China, Japan and South Korea.

Athletes have surprised in a number of events, including Kishore Jena, who took javelin silver behind teammate Neeraj Chopra, the country's first Olympic and world champion in track and field

With 45 nations, the Asian Games offers far weaker competition than the Olympics and features plenty of medals in sports that have little prospect of making the Olympic program.

India managed seven medals, including one gold, at the Tokyo Olympics, the nation's record haul only putting them 48th on the table.

Positive trajectory

Yet the trajectory is positive and results in Hangzhou show that increased funding and more targeted sports investment in recent years is paying dividends, India team officials told Reuters.

"It’s because of our prime minister (is) wishing that India should become a sporting power, so the government is doing incentives and coaching and (using) foreign coaches," Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha said.

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"The government is doing it in a systematic way.

"That system started three, four years ago. But it is good now. We started getting the results now."

Indian athletics has made strides in Hangzhou, claiming 29 medals, nine better than Jakarta.

Athletes have surprised in a number of events, including Kishore Jena, who took javelin silver behind teammate Neeraj Chopra, the country's first Olympic and world champion in track and field.

Iran's Ebrahim Khari and India's Aman compete during the men's freestyle 57Kg wrestling quarterfinals at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Oct 6, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

The men's 4x400m relay team cruised to victory on Wednesday, after an eye-catching world championships in Budapest where they set a new Asian record on the way to a fifth-place finish in the final.

"These are healthy signs of an emergent Asian sports power," said Nandan Kamath, a sports lawyer who was involved in drafting the Indian government’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme which provides funding to athletes.

With India hosting the next IOC session in Mumbai from Oct 15, a potential 2036 bid may well be a hot topic in the wake of the nation's success in Hangzhou

"There has been consolidation and growth in disciplines like shooting and athletics and the emergence of winners and contenders in new disciplines."

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India have a long way to go to catch up with China and have no hope of doing so in Hangzhou, where the hosts are closing in on their record haul of 199 gold medals from Guangzhou in 2010.

But there is no shortage of optimism.

"In the near future definitely we will chase China," India chef de mission Bhupender Singh Bajwa told Reuters.

He added that the team were targeting double their Tokyo Olympics medal haul at Paris next year.

While the athletes have broken new ground for India in recent years, sports governance in the nation has had less encouraging results.

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Just over a year ago, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) threatened to ban the IOA from Olympic Games if it were unable to solve governance and election issues.

IOC chief Thomas Bach has nonetheless talked up India as having a strong case to host the 2036 Olympics.

India has yet to hold formal discussions with the IOC about bidding but sports minister Anurag Thakur said the country is considering one.

With India hosting the next IOC session in Mumbai from Oct 15, a potential 2036 bid may well be a hot topic in the wake of the nation's success in Hangzhou.