Indian Athletes Missing from 2023 Asian Games

As the 19th edition of the Asian Games unfolds in Hangzhou, China, from September 19 to October 8, India is sending a contingent of 655 athletes across various disciplines, a significant increase from the 570 athletes who competed in 36 sports at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. However, among the notable Indian athletes, there are five prominent names absent from the 2023 Asian Games.Indian Athletes

1. Vinesh Phogat: A gold medalist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in the same year, Vinesh Phogat had earned a direct entry into this year’s competition. Unfortunately, she had to withdraw due to a knee injury sustained during training. Phogat underwent surgery in August and requires more time for a full recovery.
2. Rani Rampal: The former captain of the Indian women’s hockey team, Rani Rampal, with 120 international goals to her name, will not be part of the squad at the Hangzhou Games due to ongoing injury issues. She missed significant events last year, including the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
3. Hima Das: The celebrated Indian sprinter, who secured a gold medal at the 2018 IAAF World U-20 Championships, will also be absent from the 2023 Asian Games. A hamstring injury suffered in April has kept her out of competition. In the previous Asiad, she clinched silver in the women’s 400m race and was part of India’s gold-winning women’s team in the 4x400m relay.
4. Amit Panghal: The defending champion boxer from India at the Asian Games will not defend his title in Hangzhou. Amit Panghal missed out on selection following disappointing performances at the trials. Deepak Bhoria has replaced him in the Indian men’s boxing squad. Panghal’s appeal to the Punjab and Haryana High Court alleging bias in the trials was dismissed.
5. Sourabh Choudhury: India’s youngest shooter to win a gold medal at the Asian Games in 2018, Sourabh Choudhury, had a challenging road to the 2023 Games. While he won the opening round of the national selection trials, he eventually finished eighth after six rounds. Additionally, he failed to secure a spot in India’s shooting team for the ISSF World Championship held in Baku last month.

Re-reported from the article originally published in News18