Commonwealth Games 2022: India intention to complete in high 3 as large weapons look to step up in shooters’ absence

The Commonwealth Games might not be as aggressive because the Olympics however for the athletes, Birmingham will provide a platform for glory, validation, and redemption over the following 10 days. Representing the nation on the multi-sport spectacle shall be a dream come true for a lot of, who need to make heads flip whereas the already established and famous person athletes will look to additional their legacy on the Games.

The twenty second version of the Commonwealth Games is formally underway after a surprising opening ceremony in Birmingham. India have been led on the Parade of Nations on the Alexander Stadium by two of essentially the most embellished athletes in Indian sport – badminton star PV Sindhu and males’s hockey captain Manpreet Singh.

Over 5000 athletes shall be in motion in Birmingham and India is assured of retaining its place within the high 3. At the Gold Coast Games, India completed on the third spot with 66 medals, together with 28 gold medals whereas their best-ever exhibiting got here at house in 2010 at India completed 2nd within the New Delhi Games with 101 medals.

Australia, as ordinary, topped the charts in Gold Coast with 198 medals, together with 80 Gold medals whereas England have been second with 135, together with 45 gold medals.

Birmingham 2022: Day 1 Schedule for India

IOA’s performing president Anil Khanna on Thursday advised India Today that he’s assured that India will be capable to win 60-65 medals in Birmingham. However, the absence of capturing, which has been India’s best on the Games, would possibly hinder India’s intention to complete within the elite league of countries.

Indian shooters, up to now, have introduced unprecedented laurels to the nation on the Commonwealth Games. 63 of India’s 181 gold medals on the Games have come from shooters and so they have accounted for 135 out of the entire 503 medals received by the nation.

Shooting, although, was unnoticed of Birmingham 2022 even because the IOA is pushing for the game to be included within the subsequent version of the CWG.

In shooters’ absence, the majority of the job is anticipated to be performed by weightlifters and wrestlers.

Graphic Courtesy: India Today DIU

CAN WRESTLERS REPEAT 2018 HEROICS?

Indian wrestlers got here up with a surprising present on the Commonwealth Games in 2018, with all 12 wrestlers successful medals. India received 5 golds, 3 silver medals and 4 bronze medals.

A sweep is just not far-fetched for the 2022 batch of wrestlers. Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Ravi Dahiya (57kg) and bronze medalist Bajrang Punia (65 kg) will lead the marketing campaign as they’re favourites to complete on the highest step of the rostrum.

FULL LIST OF INDIAN ATHLETES AT CWG 2022

The likes of Vinesh Phogat and Rio Olympics bronze medalist Sakshi Malik eye redemption after having had a troublesome previous couple of years. Vinesh, who missed a medal in Rio after a gruelling harm throughout her quarter-final bout, failed to fulfill expectations in Tokyo and needed to overcome intense criticism after the Games.

On the opposite hand, Sakshi’s type pale as she did not make the lower for Tokyo. But having overcome her nemesis, Sonam Malik, within the trials, a rejuvenated Sakshi will look to say her famous person standing as soon as once more.

HEAVY LIFTING FOR INDIA

On the opposite hand, there’s loads of expectations from the weightlifting contingent — a 15-member group that can contest in 14 totally different occasions in Birmingham.

India are the 2nd most profitable nation in weightlifting on the Commonwealth Games with 125 medals and topped the charts in 2018 with 9 medals.

Olympic silver medalist Mirabai Chanu is all however assured of a gold medal because the 2018 champion will look to raised her personal private finest in a area whereby she is a lower above the remainder. She holds the Snatch (86kg) and Clean and Jerk (110 kg) report at CWG after as she lifted 196 kg to win gold in Gold Coast.

19-year-old former Youth Olympic champion Jeremy Lalrinnunga will make his Commonwealth Games debut after having overcome a collection of accidents. The teenager from Aizwal is among the sizzling favourites to win a gold medal within the 67kg class.

Not simply Mirabai and Jeremy, however your complete Indian contingent of weightlifters shall be fancying their possibilities of ending on the rostrum in Birmingham, thereby doing the heavy lifting for the nation’s medal tally within the absence of capturing.

BOXERS EYE REDEMPTION

Boxing was a serious letdown for India on the Tokyo Olympics as established names, together with Amit Panghal and Mary Kom did not medal on the Games. Debutant Lovlina Borgohain sprang a shock, successful bronze within the 70kg class a 12 months in the past.

However, there are renewed expectations from the 12-member boxing contingent that headed to Birmingham after having had a 2-week coaching camp in Ireland.

India has excessive hopes from Nikhat Zareern, who’s eyeing a 3rd gold medal of the 12 months after having received the yellow metallic on the World Championships and the distinguished Strandja Memorial. Nikhat is a agency favorite to win a gold within the 50kg class as he appears to win her maiden medal at a multi-sport occasion on the senior degree.

Nitu, who will compete within the 48kg class, is one other large medal contender from the ladies’s boxing facet.

On the opposite hand, Lovlina will look to place behind the frustration of a surprising early exit on the World Championships earlier this 12 months and end on the rostrum in Birmingham. The lead-up to CWG 2022 has not been ultimate for Lovlina as she was embroiled in an off-field controversy after she alleged psychological harassment over lack of accreditation to the Games Village for her private coach.

Amit Panghal, who suffered an early exit in Tokyo, will look so as to add to his assortment of Silver from the Gold Coast Games. Shiva Thapa will look to be again within the combine after having missed the Tokyo Games.

SHUTTLERS EYE GLORY

India received as many as 6 medals, together with gold medals in girls’s singles and blended group, on the Commonwealth Games in 2018.

While Saina Nehwal, a two-time champion in girls’s singles, is just not a part of the Indian contingent in Birmingham, the likes of PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth and the boys’s doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will look to complete on the rostrum.

Sindhu, a two-time Olympic champion, will look to win the lacking piece as she has a comparatively straightforward path to the highest step of the rostrum in girls’s singles.

Meanwhile, all eyes shall be on the blended group occasion in addition to Indian shuttlers will look to retain the gold medal that they received in Gold Coast. After the Thomas Cup success, will probably be enjoyable to look at the fantastic camaraderie between the badminton heroes.

Watch out for Gayatri Gopichand and Jolly Treesa, the ladies’s doubles pair that reached the semi-final of All England Championships earlier this 12 months.

TABLE TENNIS IN FOCUS

Gold Coast was a historic CWG for the Indian paddlers as they topped the medal desk with 8 medals, 2 greater than conventional powerhouses Singapore.

Manika Batra surprised the sphere, successful a historic gold in girls’s singles whereas India’s women and men’s groups received gold to make it a memorable marketing campaign 4 years in the past.

There is strain on the desk tennis contingent to repeat the heroics however the group, loaded with in-form stars, has the instruments to supply magic.

Sharath Kamal, who is among the most embellished Indian athletes at CWG, will look to make merry in what might be his ultimate look on the Games whereas G Sathiyan shall be hoping to bag his maiden singles gold.

Manika Batra will look to defend her singles crown however she faces a stiff check within the Birmingham area. The women and men’s groups shall be charged as much as go for glory as soon as once more and fulfill the expectations in Birmingham.

HOCKEY HIGH IN BIRMINGHAM?

Manpreet Singh and his males will need to bury the ghosts of Gold Coast. The India males’s hockey group missed out on a podium end after ending 4th within the 2018 version, dropping the bronze medal match to England.

Cut to 2022, Indian males have received again the repute of being some of the feared sides. Manpreet’s males ended a protracted watch for an Olympic medal once they received bronze in Tokyo Olympics final 12 months and little doubt, they are going to be eyeing the highest prize in Birmingham.

On the opposite hand, the ladies’s group, led by Savita Punia, will look to place behind the frustration of a poor end on the World Cup earlier this 12 months to pose a stiff problem for the powerhouses in Birmingham.

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