1.Neeraj Chopra (Javelin Throw)
Chopra at the Paris leg of the diamond league where he finished a fantastic fifth.
Who would have thought that India's top two medal prospects in 2020 would be Javelin throwers, a discipline in which the Indian National Record was lower than the event qualification mark for the 2016 Games. Yet the rise of reigning World junior Champion has made him the poster boy of Indian athletics. He has made a seamless transition into the senior circuit and has completely obliterated the former national record by over 4m. While much was expected of him at the World Championships this year, he was overshadowed by Kang's phenomenal performance. Yet it has been a good year for him as he qualified for the Diamond League finals and ranked eighth best in the world. Gary Calvert has worked hard with him over the past couple of years and if he continues the trajectory of his growth, we might have to omit junior from his title.
While medals and podiums matter, they aren't the sole parameters of success and performance. All the athletes must be supported and encouraged to achieve more Top 10s and final appearances. The road is long, and the path is tough, but then nothing good comes easy.