Asian Games
Asian Games veterans: Current Indian athletes with most Asiad appearances
Squash players Saurav Ghosal and Joshna Chinappa will be competing at their 6th Asian Games in 2023. Achanta Sharath Kamal (5th appearance), Virdhawal Khade, Ashwini Ponappa and Rohan Bopanna (all 4th appearance) are some other Indian veterans.
Ashwini Ponappa, Saurav Ghosal and Virdhawal Khade
Asian Games 2023: One of the measures of greatness in sports is longevity. For how many years a sportsperson can remain performing at the top levels in a sport often separates the all-time greats from the merely good athletes. At the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, beginning from September 23, some of India's current all-time greats will be on the hunt for medals.
As many as 157 out of the total 634 athletes will be appearing at the Asian Games for at least the second time in their career. The likes of Neeraj Chopra and Mirabai Chanu, who have won Olympic medals in the interim, will be appearing in their second Asiad appearances.
Some others, like badminton player PV Sindhu, wrestler Bajrang Punia, boxer Shiva Thapa, hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, table tennis player Manika Batra and javelin thrower Annu Rani, will be appearing in their third Asian Games.
There are 12 athletes in the Indian contingent this year who have already appeared in at least three Asian Games. Racquet sports account for most of these veterans. Swimmer Virdhawal Khade and the three sepak takraw players - Niken Singh, Sandeep Kumar and Maipak Devi - are notable exceptions.
5 previous Asian Games appearances - Saurav Ghosal (Squash), Joshna Chinappa (Squash)
4 previous Asian Games appearances - Achanta Sharath Kamal (TT)
3 previous Asian Games appearances - Virdhawal Khade (Swimming), Ashwini Ponappa (Badminton), Harinder Sandhu (Squash), Dipika Pallikal (Squash), Priyanka Thakur (Handball), Rohan Bopanna (Tennis), Niken Singh (Sepak Takraw), Sandeep Kumar (Sepak Takraw) and Maipak Devi (Sepak Takraw)
Sports-wise breakdown of current Indian athletes with multiple Asiad appearances
Here's a sports-wise breakdown of the other Indian athletes in the current Asian Games squad who have made their Asiad debuts before this:
ARCHERY: ATANU DAS (2014,2018), ABHISHEK VERMA (2014,2018), RAJAT CHAUHAN (2014,2018), JYOTI SUREKHA (2014,2018), ANKITA BHAKAT
AQUATICS: SAJAN PRAKASH (2014,2018), SIDDHARTH SINGH PARDESHI, SRIHARI NATRAJ, ADVAIT PAGE
ATHLETICS: SANDEEP KUMAR (2014,2018), AROKIA RAJIV (2014,2018), ANNU RANI (2014,2018), SWAPNA BARMAN (2014,2018), SEEMA PUNIA (2014,2018), NEERAJ CHOPRA, TAJINDER SINGH TOOR, SREESHANKAR, JINSON JONSON, SANTOSH KUMAR, MUHAMMAD ANAS
BADMINTON: KIDAMBI SRIKANTH (2014,2018), PV SINDHU (2014,2018), SIKKI REDDY (2014,2018), HS.PRANONOY, SATWIK RANKIREDDY, CHIRAG SHEETY, ASHMITA CHALIHA, GAYATRI GOPICHAND
BOXING: SHIVA THAPA (2014,2018)
CYCLING: ESOW ALBEN
FENCING: JYOTIKA DUTTA, ENA ARORA
JUDO: GARIMA CHAUDHARY (2010,2018), AVTAR SINGH
ROWING: SUKHMEET SINGH
SHOOTING: ANISH, AKHIL SHEORAN, KYNAN CHENAI, MANU BHAKER, GANEMOT SEKHON, ZORAVAR SINGH
TABLE TENNIS: HARMEET DESAI (2014,2018), MANIKA BATRA (2014,2018), SATHIYAN GNANASEKRAN, MANAV THAKKAR, AHYIKA MUKHERJEE, SUTHIRTHA MUKHERJEE
WEIGHTLIFTING: MIRABAI CHANU
BRIDGE: JAGGY SHIVDASANI, RAJESWARI TIWARI, SUMEET MUKHERJEE, RAJU TOLANI, BACHIRAJU SATYANARAYANA, RAJEEV KHANDELWAL, BHARTI DEYKIRAN NADARHIMANI KHANDELWAL, MARIANNE KARMAKAR
CHESS: HARI KRISHNA PENTALA (2006,2010), KONERU HUMPY (2006), HARIKA DRONAVALLI (2010)
SOFT TENNIS: JAY MEENA, ANIKET PATEL, ROHIT DHIMAN
SQUASH:- MAHESH MANGAONKAR (2014,2018), TANVI KHANNA
KURASH: PINKCY BALHARA
TENNIS: ANKITA RAINA (2014,2018), PRARTHANA THOMBARE (2014,2018), YUKI BHAMBRI, SUMIT NAGAL, SAKETH MYNENI, RAMKUMAR RAMNATHAN, RUTUJA BHOSALE, KARMAN THANDI
WUSHU: ANJUL NAMDEO (2014,2018), SURYA SINGH, SURAJ SINGH, ROSHIBINA DEVI
SAILING: NETHRA KUMANAN (2014,2018), CHITRESH TATHA (2014,2018), GANPATHY CHENGAPPA, VARUN ASHOK, HARSHITA TOMAR, RAMYA SARAVANAN
CANOEING: SONIYA DEVI (2014,2018), SUNIL SINGH, DIMITA DEVI
SEPAK TAKRAW: AKASH YUMNAM (2014,2018), CHAOBA DEVI (2014,2018), HENARY SINGH, MALEMNGANBA SINGH, KHUSHBU
ROLLER SKATING: AARTHY RAJ
GYMNASTICS: PRANATI NAYAK (2014,2018)
WRESTLING: BAJRANG PUNIA (2014,2018), SUMIT, NAVEEN, KIRAN
SPORT CLIMBING: BHARATH KAMATH
FOOTBALL: DANGMEI GRACE, ASHALATA DEVI, BALA DEVI
HOCKEY: SREEJESH P (2014,2018), SAVITA PUNIA (2014,2018), DEEP GRACE EKKA (2014,2018), VANDANA KATARIYA (2014,2018), SUSHILA CHANU (2014,2018), MONIKA (2014,2018), DEEPIKA (2014,2018), HARMANPREET SINGH, MANDEEP SINGH, MANPREET SINGH, VARUN KUMAR, KRISHAN BAHADUR, VIVEK PRASAD, AMIT ROHIDAS, LALIT UPADHYAY, LALREMSIAMI, NAVNEET KAUR, NEHA, NISHA, UDITA
HANDBALL: DIKSHA KUMARI, NIDHI SHARMA, NINA SHIL, JYOTI SHUKLA
KABADDI: POOJA, PRIYANKA, SAKSHI KUMARI, RITU NEGI
VOLLEYBALL: NIRMALSOORYA (2010,2018), MINIMOL ABRAHAM (2010,2018), UKKRAPANDIAN MOHAN (2014,2018), ANUSREE KAMBRATH, POYILILASWANI KANDOTH, JINI KOVAT, SHAJIA SWATHI RAVEENDRAN, VINIT KUMAR, ROHIT KUMAR
BASKETBALL: STEPHY NIXON (2014,2018), VIJAY LIMAYE (2014,2018), MADHU KUMARISHIREEN, PUSHPA SENTHIL KUMAR
