Paris Olympics 2024: Hunt for Seven begins in earnest
PARIS,JULY 27 : Seven. That’s the magical number India would be chasing at the Paris Games. In Tokyo three years ago, they had the best ever medal-haul. This time, the contingent of 117 athletes in 16 disciplines would be working towards at least reaching the target.
As the euphoria of the Opening Ceremony settles down, as the excitement of sailing on the Seine slowly fades, and as the fireworks die in staccato, athletes would embrace the reality of the Games.
India started off well, with the archery teams – both men and women – finishing the qualification in the top four. The mood in the India camp inside the Games Village too was positive.
The Indian athletes have been given some of the best assistance in terms of training, exposure and support staff in the lead-up to the Games and going beyond. Seven does not seem unreal. Acclimatisation is over. There is more hope and optimism. The medals can start flowing from July 27.
All eyes again would be on Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra, double Olympic medalist PV Sindhu, last Games silver medalist Mirabai Chanu and men’s hockey team, who would be the star cast. But there could be potential first-time medalists in archery, shooting, wrestling and boxing.
Miles away, in the salubrious township of Chateauroux, the shooters would be ensconced in their own ephemeral world, unaffected by the hype and hoopla surrounding the first-ever opening ceremony held outside a stadium. Twenty-one gun-wielding athletes, the biggest ever to qualify for the Games, would be carrying a billion hopes.
Indian athletes wave their national flags from a boat on the Seine River in Paris, France, during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024.
The sport that has given India four medals at the Olympics since Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore’s silver at Athens, including one gold by the inimitable Abhinav Bindra, has fired blank since London, where India won two medals (Vijay Kumar’s silver and Gagan Narang’s bronze).
Since then, whenever a shooter stands on the stations and firing points, more than two billion eyes look at the targets with hope. Yet, medals have eluded India at the Rio and Tokyo Games. Understandably, the sport needs medals more than ever.
India would be concentrating on the mixed team event in the 10m air rifle on Saturday. India have fielded two teams: Ramita Jindal/Arjun Babuta and Elavenil Valarivan/Sandeep Singh. Though the qualifying world record is India’s, the field is tough. While signs are positive, one has to be mindful about the Chinese and the German presence. Going by the last couple of years, India have not done as expected but the preparation leading up to the Paris Games has been one of the best.
Elavenil, mentored by Gagan, did not have the best of times in the last couple of years, but she excelled during the trials in Bhopal. The happy space is what she has alluded to while speaking about her recent form. The learning curve has moved north and the Olympics could be the zenith of her performance. Her partner, Sandeep, had been an outsider who wriggled his way into the team. Ramita and Babuta too are primed for a good show. Manu Bhaker too would be in action in the qualification round in the 10m air pistol.
However, boxing seems to be a tough ask. World champion Nikhat Zareen and 2021 bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain have been handed a tough draw. Nikhat, who has not been seeded, will face German’s Maxi Carina Kloetzer in the round of 32. If she does emerge from that, China’s World champion, Wu Yu, could be next. Next up would be Thailand’s Chuthamat Raksat or Sabina Bobokulova of Uzbekistan. Nikhat lost to Raksat in the semifinal at the Asian Games.
Lovlina will be facing China’s Li Qian in the quarterfinal if she wins her first round match. Double Olympic medalist Qian has beaten Lovlina in the Asian Games final. Yet, the team is hopeful. They know that the best qualify for the games, and they are ready for whatever is thrown at them.
Moving from the confines of the ring to the slightly bigger badminton courts, of course, beside Sindhu, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who have been in fine form in the lead up to the Games, would be chasing a historic medal in men’s doubles in La Chapelle.
Wrestling is where India would be hoping to wrest a couple of medals. Considered the face of the wrestlers’ protest last year, Vinesh Phogat, in 50 kg, would be chasing that elusive Olympic medal.
Asian Games medallist Antim Panghal is considered the best hope in her 53 kg weight category. There is also Aman Sehrawat and the promising Anshu Malik, who can beat any opponent on any given day. That would be towards the business end of the Olympics.
As of now, though, the focus would be on the shooting ranges 250 km away and the archery venue at Les Invalides on Sunday. For India, the countdown for double figures could well start from Saturday.
-The New Indian Express
