Medal Detector

This year’s Summer Olympic medals are among the heaviest ever to be created, each one measuring 3.25 inches in diameter and weighing more than 14 oz.

2008: Best-ever haul at Olympics. 2010: Best-ever haul at Commonwealth Games. 2010: Best-ever haul at Asian Games. 2012:

What are India’s prospects at the London Olympics?  By Sandip G

This year’s Summer Olympic medals are among the heaviest ever to be created, each one measuring 3.25 inches in diameter and weighing more than 14 oz. According to The Economist, the gold medals that will adorn the exultant necks of hundreds of athletes are more valuable ((based on estimates of the composition of medals and bullion prices at the time, adjusted for inflation) than previous Olympic gold medals. These are not mere trinkets, neither should they be measured in terms of their monetary value of £706 each – the gold medals are deeply symbolic prizes epitomising the pain and sacrifice athletes have endured in the pursuit of their targets. India knows the worth of an Olympic gold medal perhaps more than most other nations in the developing bracket, for the country’s quest for its first individual Olympic gold medal consumed 108 years, India first competing in the 1900 Olympiad. Had it not been for its immeasurable worth, Abhinav Bindra’s gold medal would have melted under the weight of the metaphors that were thrust upon it.

Boxer Vijender Singh’s and wrestler Sushil Kumar’s bronze medals made Beijing India’s most successful Olympic venue. Though India finished a lowly 50th on the medals table, the country rejoiced at its Olympic success. It is with refreshed hope that India awaits the London edition. Unlike in the past, this slice of optimism isn’t unfounded.  For, India achieved its best-ever tally at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, finishing 2nd, and, in the same year, the Asian Games, where it finished 6th. Meanwhile, Vijender briefly topped the world rankings in the middleweight category; Sushil won gold at the World Championships in Mosc­ow; shuttler Saina Nehwal, currently ranked 5th,  reached world number 2 position in the singles; 18-year-old archer Deepika Kumari clinched gold at the World Cup in Turkey; shooter Gagan Narang shot a perfect 600/600 en route to setting a then world record of 703.5 while sealing his Olympic berth.

Significantly, sports celebrityhood is no longer the elusive te­rrain of crickete­rs alone. For once, the In­­­dian Olympic As­sociation (IOA) and its affiliates lo­osened their purse strings for athletes. In as constructive a backdrop as this, Ind­ia fields its largest and strongest-ever Olympic co­­ntingent. 

Following the Athens and Beijing Games, shooters offer India’s best shot at gold. Bindra, privileged to pick and choose his tournaments, has been his usual reclusive self, training largely in Europe. But the 29-year-old knows what it takes to deliver on the big stage. Gagan Narang, who has accumulated all but an Olympic medal, despite appearances at Athens and Beijing, wherein he missed a berth in the final by a whisker, would be hungrier than ever. Apart from this twosome, Ronjan Sodhi, Sanjeev Rajput and Manavjit Singh Sandhu are among the medals hopefuls.

But for woman trap shooter Shagun Chawdhary, the other members of the 11-member shooting squad have at least a World Championship medal to flaunt. Though their recent outings haven’t been encouraging — only Heena Sidhu has made it to the final of a World Cup this year — chief coach Sunny Thomas is convinced the shooters will peak at the Games. “The focus this year was on qualifying, but I’m hopeful our shooters will hit top form at the right time. They have the technique and commitment to beat anyone. We can win more than a medal. The only thing we need is a little bit of luck on when it counts,” he says.

Like the shooters, India’s wrestlers and boxers are realistic medal contenders. Both sports have been on the upswing since the bronze show of Sushil and Vijender four years ago. Ironica­lly, Vijender, whose career seems to have plateaued, isn’t the overwhelming pick for a medal among the boxers. That indicates the depth in the squad.

Welterweight boxer Vikas Krishan has shown promise. The 20-year-old, after claiming the world junior title, has made a seamless transition into the senior category, signalling his arrival with Asian Games gold. As talented is 19-year-old bantamweight boxer Shiv Thapa, the country’s youngest ever boxer to compete in the Olympics. L Devendro Singh (49 kg), who qualified at the expense of Nanao Singh, is a precocious youngster. So are Manoj Kumar (64kg) and Jai Bhagwan (60kg).

And don’t forget five-time world champion MC Mary Kom, who is punching above her usual weight category (48kg). “You can’t pinpoint who will win a medal. The last time, the odds were on Akhil Kumar to win a medal, but it was Vijender who did it. A lot depends on the draw, a boxer’s mental frame during a particular bout and, of course, luck. We have the quality to win medals, but whether or how many medals we win depends on a lot of factors. All I can say is that we will make India proud,” says chief coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu.

Likewise, the wrestlers too have em­erged from Sushil’s shadow; so much so that India can dream of more than a medal in this discipline. Yo­geshwar Dutt, who agonisingly mi­ssed out on a medal in Beijing, will be highly motivated, looking to round off his career with an Olympic medal.

The rest of the five-member wr­estling squad, that also includes India’s first woman wrestler in at the Olympics Geeta Phogat, is relatively inexperienced. Nonetheless, Sushil, India’s flag-bearer at the opening ceremony, doesn’t see this as an impediment.  “Both Narsingh and Amit are extremely talented. Narsingh has been around for some time and is experienced. Amit may be short on experience, but he is skillful; in his category, most of the wrestlers are rookies, so he has a great chance of winning a medal for the country,” he predicts. Sushil’s own career has been laid low by a spate of injuries since his World Championship triumph and Commonwealth Games gold in 2010. But the wrestler from Najafgarh is proficient enough to raise his game when it matters most. “I have always given 100 per cent and will do that at the Olympics. I am optimistic of a strong show in London. It is good that I qualified late for the Olympics because I now have the momentum with me,” he says.

If a bunch of archers, too, can fulfil their promise, as opposed to their predecessors who always underachieved at the Olympics, India can expect a quiverful of medals, possibly its best-ever overall tally. Deepika figures at the forefront in this medal quest. The 18-year-old from Ranchi, whose surge has been both unprecedented and immediate, climbed to the top of world rankings last month. Moreover, the World Championship triumph in Turkey in February has been a timely impetus for her Olympic-medal bid. How participants adjust to conditions and manipulate it to their advantage at Lord’s — the venue for archery — will be decisive. “London is usually very windy at this time of the year. It will be a real challenge for us to get used to that quickly. Hopefully, we will adjust fast to the conditions there,” says Deepika.

No Indian shuttler has matched Saina’s surge in the last couple of years. The fleet-footed Hy­derabadi spearheads India’s challenge in badminton. The mixed doubles pair, Jwala Gutta and V Diju, too, would fancy their chances; more so given their recent spell of shock wins against the Chinese.

Another doubles pair — Mahesh Bhupathi and Roh­an Bopanna — has been at the centre of debate regarding India’s chances in tennis. The duo will be looking to overcome the controversy that has shrouded Indian tennis after the recent Paes-versus-Bhupathi face-off. Leander Paes, appearing in a record sixth Olympics, the most by any Indian or tennis player worldwide, will partner Sania Mirza in the mixed doubles and form a legitimate medal-contender combination.

Most of the Indian squads in various disciplines have left for London early so as to acclimatise to English conditions. The hockey team left nearly a month ago for Test series against France, Spain and South Africa in Spain and France. Though the results were not highly impressive, chief coach Michael Nobbs is confid­ent of an impressive outing. “We have had good results this year. We lost a few matches mainly because we experimented and tried different permutations. Don’t read too much into it,” he says. Though the addition of a ninth gold to India’s glittering hockey resume at the Olympics is improbable, a podium finish can only lift the sport in the country.

Few Indian squads in the past have embarked on an Olympic mission with such optimism. The expectations of a nation can either propel athletes to great feats or see them buckling under the weighty burden. India waits with bated breath.

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