The Indian Olympic Association will be sending its biggest contingent ever for the Rio Olympics 2016. Around 100 athletes, 13 more than the previous record of 87 athletes in the 2012 Olympics will be participating in various events on the grandest stage of them all to give their best in their game and hope for a podium finish, and their main aim would be to put up a good show and make the country proud by winning medals in their respective sport.
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While some athletes like Dutee Chand would be participating in the Olympics for the first time in events like 100m sprint, an event in which no Indian has qualified for the finals before, there would be quite a few high profile athletes from London Olympics 2012 who will be missed in the Rio Olympics 2016. Let us now take a look at 5 such athletes who represented India in the previous edition of the Olympics, but failed to qualify this time-
#5 Parupalli Kashyap, Badminton
Parupalli Kashyap created history in London 2012 by reaching the quarter-finals of the men’s singles badminton competition, a feat not achieved by any Indian male badminton player so far in Olympics. He also made the country proud by clinching the gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. He had won the bronze medal in the previous edition of the Commonwealth Games.
However, his dreams of participating in the Rio Olympics came crashing down as he suffered a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury. A top 16 finish in May would have ensured his qualification for the Olympics second time in a row, but he couldn’t recover in time to improve his world ranking of 17. He will be missed in Rio, as he was one of the frontrunners for a medal at the Olympics for India.
#4 Vijender Singh, Boxing
Three-time Olympian Vijender Singh has become one of the most respected and popular Olympians in recent times in the country after winning the country a medal in London. Since then, he has been making a name for himself in the world of professional boxing after turning pro and will not be participating in the Rio Olympics 2016.
The 2008 bronze medallist saw his hopes of participating in his fourth Olympics go up in smoke as Vikas Krishan qualified for the 75 kg category event, the same category that Vijender used to compete in before turning pro. Vijender had even written a letter to the Director General of Sports Authority of India, requesting for a wild card for him to participate in the Olympics after the International Boxing Association (AIBA) gave the green light to pro boxers to take part in the Rio Olympics.
#3 Vijay Kumar, Sport Shooter
Vijay Kumar was a silver medallist at the London Games, as the shooter came second in the individual 25-metre rapid fire pistol event. The Subedar Major in the Indian Army who hails from Himachal Pradesh had also won two gold medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and had an even better showing at the 2010 Commonwealth Games as he clinched three gold medals and one silver medal, and was the flag bearer for India at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
But, Kumar could not manage to qualify for the Rio Olympics and saw his hopes fade away as he did not put up a great performance in the finals of the 25m rapid fire pistol event at the Asia Olympic Qualifying Competition for shooting which was held in New Delhi earlier this year. He only managed a score of 576 and finished fifth in the six-man final, and would be sorely missed at the Rio Olympics as he has been one of India’s most consistent performers in shooting.
#2 Mary Kom, Boxing
Five-time World Amateur Boxing Champion and the only woman boxer to win a medal in each of the six boxing championships, Mary Kom was the only female boxer to qualify for the London Olympics, and also managed to win a bronze medal in her category (51 kg flyweight). She is also the first Indian female boxer to win a Gold medal at Asian Games, as she remained undefeated at the 2014 Asian Games to win a gold for India in the Flyweight category.
After having failed to make the cut for the Olympics, the ace boxer was denied a wild card entry to Rio by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Her chances to participate were dashed as the IOC decided to offer wild card entries to only those athletes who came from nations whose overall contingent had not been more than 8 members in the previous two Olympics. Mary Kom was one of the frontrunners for a medal at the Olympics for India, but now it seems the multiple time champion will be cheering for her country from the sidelines.
#1 Sushil Kumar, Wrestling
- Sushil Kumar is the most high profile name who could be missing from the Rio Olympics, as the Wrestling Federation of India has preferred Narsingh Yadav over him for the lone spot to represent India in the 74kg category in wrestling. Sushil Kumar is India’s most successful individual Olympian as he won the bronze medal in 2008 Beijing Olympics and the silver medal in 2012 London Olympics in the 66kg weight division. He also won the gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in the 74kg category.
- However, both of his medals in Olympics came in the 66kg category, whereas the Rio Games will have new categories introduced since 2013 and he had to move up to the 74kg category in order to compete in the Games.
- Sushil missed out on qualification as Narsingh Yadav secured the Olympic quota for India in the 74 kg category as he won a bronze medal in the 2015 World Championship in Las Vegas. Sushil had to miss out on the Championship due to a shoulder injury. Sushil Kumar had asked for a trial to determine who will represent India in the category, however, India’s wrestling federation stuck with Yadav.
