2020 Tokyo Olympics: Top 10 Indian medal hopes at the Summer Olympics
India fields a 125-member squad at the Tokyo Olympics, where they will look to better their best Olympic record of six medals from the 2012 London Olympics. From PV Sindhu to Bajrang Punia, here are India’s best medal hopes.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, India will field its largest and maybe its strongest Olympic contingent at the Games. From shooters to wrestlers and boxers, there are quite a few that can bag a medal at the Olympics this year. Can India better its 2012 London Olympics tally of six – two silver and four bronzes? Here are those that can make it possible. (Image: Reuters)
PV Sindhu: Carolina Marin’s withdrawal from the Tokyo Games, has put Sindhu as one of the strong favourites in Badminton at the Games. She had lost to Marin in the final of the 2016 Rio Olympics. Currently ranked 7th, she isn’t in the best of her form, but her resolve to turn up at the big stage could get her a podium finish. (File Image)
Bajrang Punia: In the last four years, he has won two World medals and an Asian Games title. His relentless pressure and stamina are his main threats and will once again be a force to reckon with at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He is seeded second and will have to face World champion Gadzhimurad Rashidov until the final, should he also advance unbeaten. (Image: PTI)
Vinesh Phogat: Unbeaten this year with medals at the Rome Ranking Series, Asian Championships and the Poland Open. She is the top seed at the Games after World Champion Pak Yong-Mi pulled out. She has been consistent this year and if she is able to hold her unbeaten run until after the Olympics, she will have gotten India its first Gold since 2008. (Image: PTI)
Amit Panghal: He is not a novice at the big events after winning the Boxing World Cup in 2020. His biggest contender would be defending Olympic flyweight (52Kg) champion Shakhobidin Zoirov. He lost to Zoirov by the narrowest of margins at the Asian Championships in May. Unless there is a major upset, it looks highly unlikely that Panghal will be denied a podium finish. (Image: File Image)
Mirabai Chanu: A former world champion and ranked fourth currently, Chanu is another serious contender for a medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Two of those ranked above have pulled out, making Chanu’s chances of a medal finish extremely high. She holds the record for clean and jerk, which means a good start in the snatch event will almost certainly guarantee her a podium finish. (Image: File Image)
Neeraj Chopra: Neeraj has been consistent with throws over the 85m mark this year. Unlike most other sports, Javelin has never been a sport where performances have been consistent. His current personal best is 88.07m and any throw equal to or over this could get him a medal. But there are eleven athletes in the same category with personal bests better than his, but what will matter is who turns up on the day at the Games. (Image: File Image)
Saurabh Chaudhary: One of India’s biggest bet for a medal in Tokyo, 19-year-old Saurabh is in scintillating form. He has had a podium finish in each of the five World Cup’s he has taken part in and is currently ranked number 2. He has a reputation for making it to the finals easily, with even his lowest score in qualification since making his senior debut likely to be enough to make it to the final at the Games. His biggest opponents would be Javad Foroughi, who has beaten him in two World Cups and two-time Olympic medalist Wei Pang. (Image: AP)
Saurabh Chaudhary & Manu Bhaker: They have competed together six times in World Cups and have found themselves on the podium on each occasion. Both being exceptionally good shooters make them strong favourites to win gold at the Games. Their biggest threat would be the Russian pair of Artem Chernousov and Vitalina Batsarashkina who beat them in the Osijek World Cup. (Image: File Image)
Deepika Kumari: She has reclaimed her World number 1 status after winning gold medals at the Archery World Cup. After a disappointing outing at the 2016 Rio Olympics, she will be hungry to make amends. An inexperienced archer then, Deepika has come a long way since and will be eyeing a podium finish in the individual and mixed categories. (Image: PTI)
Deepika Kumari & Atanu Das: India’s Olympic power couple, Deepika and Atanu are on fire, having won gold in the recently concluded World Cup. The power duo are strong favourites for a medal finish in Tokyo. (From left to right: Deepika Kumari, Aatanu Das, Image: PTI)