Asian Games 2018 News: 2 major upsets for India till August 22

The Asian Games 2018 started on August 18, 2018, in Indonesia among much fanfare. 570 players from India are competing in various sporting events. Until Day 4, India had won 11 medals. There were two major upsets which India suffered. These two losses shook the morale of the fans.

The first major upset happened when two-time Olympic medal winner Sushil Kumar suffered a defeat against Adam Batirov from Bahrain. They fought in the 74 Kg wrestling category. Sushil was winning by 2-0 initially. But 33-year-old Batirov made a spectacular comeback and raced ahead with a lead of 5-2. The referee warned Sushil for hitting Batirov in the head. Sushil tried a comeback, but it was too late. Ultimately, he lost by 5-3 to Batirov.

Sushil said, “It was not expected. It's part of the sport. I will come back again. We can't be overwhelmed. It won't lead you anywhere.”

The second shock which Indian fans received was when South Korea defeated the World Champion India 24-23 in Kabaddi. On the second day of the Asian games, Indian players could not bear the pressure and lost to South Korea. Earlier they had defeated Bangladesh and Sri Lanka comfortably. India had never lost in Asian games, and hence this defeat was a shock for the Indian fans. Indian side looked complacent, which the Koreans detected early on. Koreans capitalized on their mistakes and gave them a good fight. Ultimately, they won in a closely contested match.

India's formerKabaddi coach Bhaskaran Edachery said, “There is no use in panicking or saying this is because of all the court cases.” He added “South Korea is good and this will serve as a wake-up call for us. But I am sure we will come back strong.”