India’s best bets in London 2012 Olympics

73 is the current count of the contingent that will represent India at the Olympics. This is the largest contingent ever that India will send, with few qualifiers still due. The prospects of India winning medals are also high in the 30th Olympics.

With the torch relay in London marking the beginning of the world’s celebration of sports, let us take a look at India’s prospects of podium finishes.

Highly Expected:

These three sports make it to this category purely because we have won in them earlier and a repeat of it would be spectacular.

Shooting: Abhinav Bindra hit the jackpot by snatching India’s only Gold last time in the 10m air rifle event. He will be expected to create the same magic but will be joined by Gagan Narang, the cool and confident shooter. As both compete in the same category, let us wish that they take the top two places in the games.

Boxing: I would call it the star studded category. With the likes of Vijender Singh, the middleweight boxer who pocketed the bronze in the Beijing Olympics; MC Mary Kom, the five time World champion and first Indian pugilist in Women’s boxing that will make its debut in London and Shiva Thapa, the youngest Indian boxer to qualify in the lineup. At least two medals can be expected.

Wrestling: India did extremely well in the Commonwealth games conducted in 2010, clinching gold medals in various categories with Geeta Phogat winning the first ever gold medal in women’s wrestling. The presence of the Olympic bronze medal winner, Sushil Kumar is sure to inspire the rest of the 5 member squad. Grabbing two medals wouldn’t be far fetched if things go our way.

Hopes galore

Badminton: This is one sport which will be in the limelight for its star players. World number 5 Saina Nehwal will attempt to surpass the quarterfinal hurdle she faced last time. Although she has been inconsistent in the past few tournaments, her focus and determination should carry her through in the Olympics.

Also, it would be great if the feisty and out spoken Jwala Gutta also reaches the medal stage in any one of the doubles events that she is a part of. A medal would be great.

Weightlifting: Karnam Malleshwari did it for India in the Sydney Olympics by winning the bronze medal. We await another win for India in this category.

Athletics: Krishna Poonia’s fantastic win in the Commonwealth games won her a Goldmedal- the pressure has surely increased but so has the expectation from the track and field events.

Now, if you are wondering why Hockey does not feature anywhere above, I would like to brand it in a different category

Euphoric

Hockey:

Amidst all the controversies, it was a breath of fresh air when the Indian men’s national Hockey team reached the final stage of the qualifier against France. And what they did in that match was historic. Qualifying after a gap of 8 years, the team is riding on high hopes from the nation.

If the Indian Hockey team manages to overcome the problems it is facing with the blue turf on which the games will be played in London and adjusts to it; if they show the same aggressive display of the game like they did in the qualifiers and if they believe they can do it, then dreams of winning a medal will turn into reality. The nation will be caught in frenzy. The team will emerge as heroes.