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Mandhana: Olympic Gold a Bigger Challenge, India Must Keep Improving

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News18•22-09-2026, 16:30
Mandhana: Olympic Gold a Bigger Challenge, India Must Keep Improving
- •Smriti Mandhana stated that winning gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will be a much tougher challenge than the Asian Games, requiring continuous improvement from the Indian team.
- •India secured their second consecutive Asian Games gold medal by defeating Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final.
- •Mandhana emphasized that the team cannot dwell on their Asian Games victory and must focus on getting better over the next 1.5-2 years to be in the best position for an Olympic medal.
- •She highlighted the unique feeling of contributing to the Indian contingent and seeing the national flag raised with the national anthem playing when winning a medal at multi-sport events.
- •Mandhana shared her personal habit of meditating and practicing breath work to manage stress and separate her on-field and off-field life.
Key Questions Answered
Smriti Mandhana stated that the team will need to continue improving over the next 1.5 to 2 years to win a gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, noting that the tournament will feature much tougher competition than the Asian Games.
India won their second consecutive gold medal in the Asian Games after defeating Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final, powered by Smriti Mandhana's 45-ball 79.
Smriti Mandhana enjoys meditating and performing breath work to get out of a bad phase, and she follows a strict rule never to carry her on-field cricket life off the field.




