5 Indian debutants to watch out for at Rio 2016

India are building a robust contingent for Rio 2016 and among them are some very impressive debutanats who will look to make at their maiden appearance i at the Games in a few months time.

Here’s a look at 5 Indian debuatants who could spring a surpise at Rio De Janerio.

1.Jitu Rai

If you had to take an example of an Indian sportsperson, who started off late and then climbed the ladder of success faster than you could imagine, then perhaps the first name that could come to your mind would be that of Jitu Rai.

The 28-year-old was first selected for a camp in 2010 but was found to be not up-to-the-mark and was sent back to his Army Unit which put an end to his training at the AMU in Mhow.

However, the tide did shift soon and the turning point arrived in 2014 when he won a silver medal in the 10m Air Pistol at the Granada World Championships, that also earned him a quota for Rio 2016.

He won a Gold in the same category at the Maribor World Cup and two more Golds at the Commonwealth Games as well as the Asian Games that year.

After beginning 2015 on a positive note, a few injuries hampered his performance, but he came back with a bang at the Bangkok World Cup last month, where he won Gold in the 50m Air Pistol.

Rai will be one of India's 4 pistol shooters at Rio and perhaps has the strongest chance of the lot to win a medal.

2.Narsingh Yadav

Having taken up wrestling at the age of 13, Yadav first came into the limelight at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, when he was announced the last minute replacement in the 74kg category and he clinched that chance with both hands winning the Gold to make everyone stand and take notice.

After a couple of mixed seasons in 2011 and 2012, Yadav came into the spotlight once again in 2014, this time at the Asian Games in Incheon when he won the bronze medal and then a year later won yet another bronze at the World Championships in Las Vegas and then at the same event became the first Indian wrestler to qualify for Rio 2016 in the 74 kg category.

It remains to be if he does get selected since he and Sushil Kumar are likely to compete in the same category, but if he does get picked then he would surely one of the newcomers to watch out for .

3.Khushbir Kaur

Racewalking may not be a sport that would get the best of coverage in India, but one athlete who has been impressing one-and-all in it is Khushbir Kaur. The 22-year-old 20km walker first came into the limelight when she won the bronze at the Asian Junior Championships and then a year later finished 39th at the World Championships.

2014 saw her win yet another bronze, this time at the Asian Championships in Japan, with a time of 1:33:37, thereby beating her own national record. Later that year, she created history by becoming the first Indian to win an Asian Games medal.

Kaur qualified for Rio 2016 at the Beijing World Championships last year when she clocked a tme of 1:33:58, which was well within the Rio Olympic qualification.

4.Apurvi Chandela

India's Women shooting has seen a resurgence in recent times and 23-year-old Apurvi Chandela has certainly had a big role to play in that. She first came into the limelight, when in a tight final, she clinched the Gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

She then booked a quota for Rio by winning the bronze at the Changwon World Cup in 2015 and later that year, won her maiden medal- a silver- at the World Cup Finals in Munich.

Considered among the favourites for a medal at Rio, the Jaipur-born shooter will be looking to meet the lofty expectations and win India's first ever Women's shooting medal at Rio.

5.Inderjeet Singh

If there was one athlete who dominated the Indian athletics scene in 2015, it was Inderjeet Singh. To put in one word the shot putter's show, it would be staggering.

The 27-year-old won an unbelievable 8 Gold medals in 2015, that included three straight Golds at the Asian Grand Prix Series in Thailand and also India's first ever medal at the University Games.

India has come close on two occasions to win an athletics medal at an Olympics, but if Inderjeet can put in his best on the big day, the jinx could finally be broken.