India Handball at 2023 Asian Games: Full Squad, Schedule, Medal Chances
India have never won a medal in handball at the Asian Games. But it is one of the fast rising sports in the country and a surprise or two could be expected.
India's Priyanka Thakur, Shalini Thakur and Menika Pal (all facing camera) celebrate
India's Handball involvement at the 2023 Asian Games, confined to the women's team's participation, is set to face a tough test to stay alive in the group stages. The women's team's campaign, starting from Monday will face opposition from some of the top handball nations in Asia, starting with Japan (world rank 15).
The Indian team, ranked 66th in the world, will also face Hong Kong (29th) and China (50th) for a chance to progress. Nepal are the only team in the group stage who India are expected to beat.
Despite being a fast rising sport in India - the Premier Handball League being one of the new franchise leagues making a mark in the country - India have never won a medal in handball at the Asian Games.
India Handball Team at 2023 Asian Games
Bhawana, Diksha Kumari, Menika, Priyanka, Sonika, Sushma, Pooja Kanwar, Asha Rani, Mitali Sharma, Nidhi Sharma, Nina Shil, Jyoti Shukla, Shivani Singh, Tejaswini Singh, Priyanka Thakur, and Shalini Thakur
India Handball Schedule at Asian Games
25th September; 2 PM- India vs Japan
27th September; 7 PM- India vs Hong Kong
29th September; 6 PM- India vs P.R. China
30th September; 2 PM- India vs Nepal
India Handball at Asian Games 2023: Medal Chances, Ranking Prediction
There are a total of 9 competing teams for the women’s handball tournament in the 19th edition of the Asian Games, The Indian women’s team will be playing four group-stage matches.
Two teams are set to make it out of the groups. In India's group, Japan, Hong Kong and China are the three favourites to make it out. India need to pull off upsets against two of these three teams to make it.
India Handball at Asian Games: Past Records
Handball has been an Asian Games event since 1982. The women's handball team debuted at the Asian Games in 2006 and have qualified for every edition since then. The best ranking they have been able to achieve is 8th out of 9 teams in 2014
They are a superpower in the South Asian zone though, as seen from their gold medal-clinching performances in the South Asian Games in 2016 and 2019.
The Indian men's handball team first participated in the Asian Games in 1982. In all five appearances since then, the men's team have not been able to rise from the bottom of the table.