“India Will Go Beyond 100 Medals” – Sahdev Yadav ahead of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya
- India is confident of crossing the 100-medal mark at the Asian Games.
- Sahdev Yadav backs Mirabai Chanu to end India’s 28-year weightlifting medal wait.
- He believes Indian athletes need greater support from fans, media and sponsors.
In an exclusive conversation with RevSportz Editor-in-Chief Boria Majumdar, Dr Sahdev Yadav, the Chef de Mission of India’s contingent for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, President of the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) and South Asian Weightlifting Federation (SAWF), and Treasurer of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), spoke about India’s preparations for the Asian Games, the target of crossing 100 medals, Mirabai Chanu’s medal prospects, the growing depth across sports, doping and the support needed for Indian athletes.
Boria: India won 100 medals at the last Asian Games. As Chef de Mission, do you expect the contingent to cross that mark in Aichi-Nagoya?
Sahdev: I have full hope from my team that we will go beyond 100 medals. Whether it is 105, 110 or more, we will definitely cross 100. Performance-wise too, we will be better than before. Our parameters are very good and our athletes are participating in all the events. The team has been selected after a lot of thought by SAI, IOA and the federations, so I have full hope that we will be very successful.
Boria: Let’s start with weightlifting. Only one medal is missing in Indian weightlifting and that is an Asian Games medal. Can Mirabai Chanu finally end that wait?
Sahadev: It has been almost 26-27 years since India won an Asian Games medal in weightlifting. An Asian Games medal is now above an Olympic medal for us. Now you will ask me why it is above the Olympics. Because in all the Asian Games that have taken place before this, the country could send two players. This is the first time that only one player will come from a country in each category. So the Olympic medal was difficult because two people used to come. And now in the Asian Games we can only take one.
I hope that on the first day itself this year you will get the good news that Indian weightlifting has won a medal after 28 years.
Boria: How’s the preparation going? Is the medal coming around 200kg?
Sahadev: Mirabai is doing very well. In weightlifting, you cannot be certain about anything until the last moment because injuries can happen when you are pushing for maximum weights. But we are absolutely confident about her.
I went to see her training and I go there every day. She is doing absolutely fine. Her medical and other requirements are being taken care of so that there is no damage to her body.
The medal should come above 200kg. She has already lifted 205kg at the national championships in the 48kg category, and now she will be competing in the 49kg category here. With the benefit of that extra 1kg, we will take her forward safely. I am confident that you will get the medal.
Getting a medal in weightlifting is not easy. Almost all the strong weightlifting nations are from Asia, including China, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and Chinese Taipei. It is very tough for us, but we will overcome this hurdle and give you the result soon.
Boria: With cricket returning to the Asian Games, how do you see its impact as CDM on India’s medal prospects?
Sahadev: Cricket is very beneficial for us. Our gold medal tally can increase by two because of cricket. Our teams are doing very well, and this is also important from the Olympic perspective. It is very good for India and will increase our medal prospects.
Apart from cricket, Neeraj Chopra has been injured, but injuries are part of sport. Our other athletes are also very good. We have another group of javelin throwers going, along with several other talented athletes. In shot put and other athletics events, our medal tally can increase.
Boria: Hockey is also doing very well. Both our men’s and women’s teams are strong. The women’s team performed well at the recent World Cup and finished fifth. If they can beat China at the Asian Games, they can secure direct Olympic qualification.
Sahadev: Hockey is doing very well. Both of our teams are very good. Health is very important and everyone has to take care of themselves because there are new things coming up. Some athletes will be staying on the ship, and we don’t yet know how much movement there will be or whether it will affect their sleep and comfort.
The government has already prepared containers in Bengaluru and Patiala so that the athletes can get used to the conditions. Initially, they feel uncomfortable, but later they adjust. This is a very good step by the government and should give us positive results.
I will also be staying in a container. The Chef de Mission will have a hotel as an option too. If any athlete has difficulty sleeping or feels disturbed on the ship, we will arrange a hotel for them.
Boria: You saw several sports contribute medals at the Commonwealth Games. Do you expect a similar spread at the Asian Games?
Sahadev: Absolutely. You mentioned 25 medals from athletics, but I have even higher expectations from athletics. There are many big stars in shooting too, including Manu Bhaker and several other good athletes. Shooting can contribute more than 25 medals, and we can also increase our medal tally in boxing and wrestling.
Boria: I am expecting four medals from Esha Singh as she is in a great form this season.
Sahadev: I also expect four from her and I pray she stays healthy in the tournament.
Boria: Doping remains a major concern in Indian sport. How are you looking at the issue?
Sahadev: Doping is a very dangerous issue. Our children can be misled by it, so we conduct seminars and tell them in every meeting that they have to work hard to succeed in sport.
Doping may give temporary results, but it damages their health and can affect their future generations. We are trying to explain this to athletes, and the government is also doing a lot.
Our anti-doping agency, NADA, is conducting the testing itself. We are not giving any chance to foreign agencies in stopping this. We are carrying out maximum testing to stop doping.
That is why the graph may be going up right now. If we stop doping tomorrow, the graph will come down. The important thing is that we are testing more and creating fear among those who are involved in doping.
Boria: Earlier, there was a disconnect between the ministry, IOA and federations. Do you feel the coordination is better now? We have to work together, including the media.
Sahadev: There is nothing without the media because the media tells the people of India what is happening and how our athletes are performing.
The government has given a lot of support. The central government, sports ministry and SAI are supporting us, and the coordination is very good. There is no shortage of anything. If a top athlete genuinely needs something, they will get it.
For example, the weightlifting equipment in Japan is from an Osaka company. This particular equipment was last seen in Delhi in 2010 and I had not seen it in any other country since then. Mirabai wanted that Osaka set because of the movement of the rod and bearing. TOPS immediately imported the set for her. The government fulfilled what she asked for. What can be more important than that?
Boria: Sport is increasingly being seen as India’s soft power. How important is that for Indian sport?
Sahadev: The government is doing everything for the athletes. If a federation is working honestly and gives the genuine requirements of an athlete, I don’t think there should be any problem. The demand should be genuine, and no genuine requirement has been stopped.
No sport, participation or exposure is being stopped. Our minister himself takes a stand on this and is concerned that athletes should get exposure. This is a very big thing for Indian sport.
Boria: Cricket dominates India’s sporting conversation. What is your message to the media and fans about other sports?
Sahadev: Our athletes need support from the country, the fans and the media. Whether we win or lose, we need that support.
My message to the athletes, technical officials and coaches is simple: the athletes should give their maximum. Winning a medal is a different thing. If they perform to their maximum here, they can win more than 100 medals.
Don’t look at what someone else is doing. If you keep looking at others, you can fail. Do your maximum and you will succeed.
Cricket is famous because everyone watches it and because it has sponsors. Cricket has built that popularity itself. Other sports have to do the same. We have to think about how to get sponsors, connect with the public and connect with the media.
We should not keep saying cricket, cricket, cricket. Every sport has to move forward in its own way. The government can provide equipment and support, and it is doing that. We should watch cricket and play other sports too.
Boria: I assure you, the media, you know there were a lot of people in Glasgow. There were a lot of people from my team. They will be here too. There will be a lot of support from our side. I promise you on the show that we will do it together.
(Transcribed by Amrin Siddique.)