With 119 athletes across 15 sports, India’s current contingent for Rio Olympics 2016 is their largest ever by quite a fair margin. Our athletes received a grand sendoff before departing for the Brazilian venue where the Games will be flagged off, come Friday.
The staff of The Associated Press have, in the meantime, conducted a projection regarding the participants in every discipline expected to have the last laugh in Rio. According to their prediction, India will win two medals during the course of the sporting extravaganza that is scheduled to take place between August 5th to 21st.
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The three-time gold medallist (ISSF World Cup, Glasgow Commonwealth and Incheon Asian Games) from 2014, Jitu Rai has been named as the silver medallist in the 50 metres pistol event at Rio. South Korea’s Jin Jong-oh is expected to pip him for gold in the final stage of the contest.
The duo of Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna is predicted to fetch the only other podium finish for India with a bronze medal in mixed doubles Tennis, the Gold medal of which is likely to be clinched by the US pair of CoCo Vandeweghe and Bob Bryan.
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The previous edition in 2012 had seen India earn their best ever medal tally at the London Olympics. With two silvers and 4 bronze medals out of a brigade of 83 sportspersons, India’s faring had exceeded expectations, a result the country is eager to witness once again from Rio.
With Narsingh Yadav’s suspension due to a doping controversy adversely affecting India’s odds in Wrestling, Archery, Shooting and Boxing still have promising candidates to watch out for. The Men’s hockey team which won their maiden silver at the FIH Champions Trophy in June would also be looking to break their 36-year run of not winning an Olympic medal when they take the field in Rio this week.
