Asian Games 2018 unites India on Twitter as the medals pour in!

The 2018 Asian Games got off to a great start on the 18th, with an opening ceremony that captured every sports fan’s imagination. Fans in India took to Twitter to celebrate the flurry of medals that came in on the second and third day of the games. Twitter was buzzing with chatter around the Asian Games courtesy Golds for Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, Silver for Deepak Kumar, and Bronze for Apurvi Chandela and Ravi Kumar. Conversation numbers soared past the 400k mark with regards to Tweets related to Team India at the Asian Games 2018, showing once again that live sport happens on Twitter.  

The Indian contingent caught the eye of some notable figures from the country, including Sachin Tendulkar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Congratulations @BajrangPunia for the memorable victory in the 65 kg freestyle wrestling. This win is even more special because it is India's first Gold in the @asiangames2018. Best wishes for your future endeavours. #AsianGames2018

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 19, 2018

The #AsianGames2018 are here. The best way we can support our athletes representing India 🇮🇳 is to watch them do what they do best. Let’s show them our true mettle and with pride bring home some metal, guys! 🏅🥈🥉

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) August 18, 2018

Fans can continue to shower their support for the Indian contingent at the Asian Games by unlocking special #AsianGames2018 Emojis.

In celebration of the biggest sport event in Asia, Twitter has launched three special emojis in the shape of:

• #AsianGames2018 - the official Asian Games logo,
• #AsianGames - a torch that symbolizes the energy of Asia,
• #EnergyOfAisa - the 3 mascots -Bhin Bhin, Atung, and Kaka- that reflect Indonesia's diversity with three animals, each from different regions in Indonesia.

Available until the month of October, the emoji will appear when the following hashtags are used in Tweets:

To stay updated on all of the conversation; fans can follow @AsianGames2018, as well as search for and Tweet with the official Asian Games 2018 hashtags above.