Asian Games 2023: Cricketer Pooja Vastrakar, sprinter Amlan Borgohain added to Indian contingent
Skeet shooter and Olympian Angad Vir Singh Bajwa and basketball player Princepal Singh were also added to the Hangzhou-bound Indian squad.
Cricketer Pooja Vastrakar and sprinter Amlan Borgohain have been added to the revised Indian squad for the Asian Games 2023, announced by the sports ministry on Thursday.
A total of 39 new names, including replacements, were added to the list of Indian contingent for the continental meet, which is scheduled in Hangzhou, the People’s Republic of China, from September 23 to October 8.
The Indian sports ministry had earlier announced a list of 634 athletes for the Hangzhou Asian Games. The number has gone up to 655 after the latest revision.
The latest list includes medium-pacer Pooja Vastrakar, who will join the Indian women’s T20 cricket team at the Asian Games 2023. She will replace left-arm pacer Anjali Sarvani, who is recovering from an injury.
Vastrakar had made the team for the Commonwealth Games 2022 as well. However, she joined the team late as she had contracted COVID-19 and missed the first two matches in Birmingham. Vastrakar played the next three matches but went wicketless.
Amlan Borgohain, meanwhile, will compete in the men’s 200m event at Hangzhou. He made the cut after competing in the recently-concluded Indian Grand Prix athletics meet in Chandigarh. Borgohain holds the 200m national record of 20.52 seconds, clocked last year.
Skeet shooter Angad Vir Singh Bajwa, an Olympian, was also cleared to compete at the Asian Games following a recommendation by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).
Basketball player Princepal Singh was another notable inclusion to the Indian contingent. The hoopster will compete in the 3×3 men’s basketball event.
Five athletes were added to the ju-jitsu squad while four additions were made in the kurash contingent. A four-member team was also added for the men’s team pursuit event in cycling.
As per the revised list, India will also compete in Modern Pentathlon at the Asian Games. The country will have only one representative in Mayank Chaphekar.
Mayank Chaphekar’s addition means that Indian athletes will compete in 39 different sports at the Asian Games 2023.
Changes were also made to coaches and support staff. The total contingent for India now stands at 921, including 655 athletes and 260 coaches and support staff.