5 Indian athletes whose strength will be crucial to their medal hopes

The Olympics are the pinnacle of every athlete’s career and it is the dream of most top athletes to end their career with at least one Olympic medal. As fans, we all hope to see our favourite athletes do well but it is very difficult to imagine ourselves in their position.

Strength and stamina are two facets athletes will need to be in complete control of to ensure they perform as well as possible. Remaining calm in critical moments is also something every sportsman needs to take care of as those moments make all the difference to the eventual outcome.

With the Indian contingent soon beginning their campaign, here’s a look at five members who will need to showcase their strength in order to secure a medal –

Vikas Krishan

The 23-year-old boxer from Bhiwani in Haryana is one of India’s three-member strong boxing contingent at Rio and will be looking to prove his pedigree.

He has been drawn against Charles Conwell of the United States, and will use his experience to take himself past the opening round. Krishan, who is ranked sixth in the world, will need to take out the best from the world to ensure himself of a medal finish.

A gut-wrenching verdict at London 2012 saw him getting knocked out despite winning 13-11 on points, when the Indian was penalised for holding fouls which had gone unpunished during the bout.

Four years have passed since, and Vikas is in a much better position as a boxer. He qualified for the Olympics after clinching Bronze at the 2016 World Olympic Qualifiers.

Now having switched to middleweight, the JSW Sports Excellence Program boxer will be looking to use his speed to great effect. His lightweight record was brilliant as he had won Gold at the 2010 Asian Games.

He then switched to middleweight (75 kg)category, the same in which Vijender Singh won the Bronze at the 2008 Olympics. Considering that Vijender comes from the same boxing club as Vikas, and that both of them compete in the same category, the expectation is that Vikas will return with a medal.

It will take great mental strength and physical superiority for Vikas Krishan to forget his 2012 nightmare and win a medal for the nation this time around.

Vikas Gowda

Vikas Gowda is one of the most experienced Indian athletes at Rio 2016, and will be looking to make the maximum use of his knowledge and training to convert his good performances into a medal finish.

Having finished 8th at London 2012 in the discus throw after having qualified for the Finals in 5th position, Gowda would be expecting to do better this time around and will be attempting to get into the top 3.

Vikas, who won Gold at the Asian Athletics Championships in 2015, and has won Silver at the 2014 Asian Games, in addition to Gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, is India’s best bet in athletics at the Games.

He suffered a minor shoulder injury in the run-up to Rio, but should be fit to perform in time for his event, scheduled for the 12th of August.

The onus will be on him to show the mental strength necessary to overcome any confidence barrier that exists so that he can forget about his shoulder injury and hurl the discus with the maximum force he can.

Narsingh Yadav

The man who has been in the news the most in the recent past and not because of something he himself did, Narsingh Pancham Yadav has to overcome the mental trauma he was put through in order to be in perfect shape for Rio.

The wrestler who was given a clean chit by NADA, after he was found to be a victim of sabotage that saw him being accused of doping, will need to show the focus necessary to keep himself ready for the bouts ahead.

Part of the JSW Sports Excellence Program, he will also have to deal with the added expectations of the nation, after the Wrestling Federation of India handed him the Olympic quota, something he rightfully earned, ahead of two-time Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar.

Yadav’s journey to Rio 2016 has been eventful, but the Indian grappler knows he has what it takes to clinch glory. He will, however, need to dip into his reserves of concentration, focus and strength to ensure his goal is accomplished.

Dipa Karmakar

The only Indian ever so far to qualify for the Olympics in Artistic Gymnastics, Karmakar has already gained a lot of attention for her prowess in a sport that isn’t really followed or practised in India very fervently.

Her ability to cut out all the media distraction and focus on her own style is what has kept her sane amidst all the hullaballoo and she will be looking to execute the strategy as discussed with her coaches to perfection in order to win India a medal.

She will be going up against gymnasts who have been in the sport for a long time, and who practise in the best facilities possible across the world. To combat their experience and their advantage, she will have to draw on her mental strength, apart from ensuring she is in the perfect shape to perform her best on the day.

Looking at her proficiency at the Produnova, one of the most difficult moves to execute, she is ready to go to war in Brazil.

Lalita Babar

One of India’s two representatives in the 3000m steeplechase, Lalita Babar goes into Rio 2016 as one of the dark horses for a medal in a track event.

Babar, who used to run marathons earlier, switched to the steeplechase in 2014 and has since then dominated the event, both in India and Asia.

She won the Silver at the 2014 Asian Games, an upgrade from her Bronze after Bahrain’s Ruth Jebet was stripped of her Gold medal. Lalita then proceeded to win the Gold at the 2015 Asian Athletics Championships.

Supported by the JSW Sports Excellence Program, Babar then finished 8th at the 2015 World Championships, after having led the race for a significant distance.

Babar will have to use all her last reserves of strength to ensure her stamina and speed help her push herself further so that she can win a medal for the country.