New Delhi:
Barring three sporting disciplines -- shooting, boxing and weightlifting, India's chances of winning a huge number of medals at the next month's Commonwealth Games appears to be bleak, if past records are taken into consideration.
India's performance in the Games in last two decades shows that in most of the sporting disciplines it has failed to make any remarkable mark. It is only shooting, boxing and weightlifting have performed consistently for the past five CWG, starting from 1990 CWG in Auckland, New Zealand.
Although past records of boxing has not been so glorious, it has started earning medals only from past five Games, with five medals in Melbourne Games, three in Manchester and one each in Kuala Lumpur, Canada and New Zealand Games.
This time, Beijing Olympic bronze medalist Vijender Singh will spearhead the team at the Delhi Games. Vijender is currently at the top of the International Boxing Association list.
It is however, shooting, that has been India's strength in the Games. It helped India bag 26 medals in Melbourne, 24 in Manchester, 7 each in Kuala Lumpur and Canada and 5 in New Zealand. And this time around, shooters have promised to better their previous records. Having already claimed 38 gold medals in the past five editions of the Games, shooters are expected to capitalize on home advantage.
With world-class venue in Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range at the Games this time, it is no wonder that the shooters and the coaches as well as other sporting personalities are placing bets on this sport.
Even Organising Committee vice-chairman Randhir Singh, who himself was an Olympian shooter, could not help but praise the team profusely.
"We have some of the best shooters in the world like Ronjan Sodhi, Samaresh Jung and Abhinav Bindra," Randhir Singh had said during a guided media tour of the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range.
It is not surprising that shooting has won India medals in previous two editions of the Olympics, with Bindra winning the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore earning a silver in 2004 Olympics at Athens.
Next in line of medal-prospect is weightlifting, which has sometimes managed to earn even more medals than shooting.
From 1990 to 2002, weightlifting contributed to nearly half of India's medal tally. In 1990, weightlifting bagged 24 medals for India, while in 1994 and 1998 Games, it gave the country 11 and 13 medals, respectively.
Its biggest medal haul came in 2002 Manchester Games when Indian weightlifters won as many as 27 medals, including 11 gold, nine silver and seven bronze out of the country's overall tally of 69 medals.
However, weightlifting ended on a disappointing note in the 2006 Melbourne Games where it just managed to earn nine medals (three gold, five silver and a bronze).
Favorites to win gold medals in the CWG 2010 are defending champion in women's 58kg Renubala Chanu, K Ravi Kumar (men's 69 kg) and Soniya Chanu (women's 48kg). Melbourne silver-medallist L Monika Devi also make a comeback after her two-year ban for doping.
Meanwhile, experts have said that this time around, wrestling can spring up some surprises as it has a strong possibility of winning medals.
Although wrestling has never been a consistent performer in the past editions of the CWG, but it managed to win six medals in Melbourne Games, more than boxing.
Led by Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award winner Sushil Kumar, who has just returned after winning the FILA 2010 World Wrestling Championships in Moscow, the team looks promising this time.
India's performance in the Games in last two decades shows that in most of the sporting disciplines it has failed to make any remarkable mark. It is only shooting, boxing and weightlifting have performed consistently for the past five CWG, starting from 1990 CWG in Auckland, New Zealand.
Although past records of boxing has not been so glorious, it has started earning medals only from past five Games, with five medals in Melbourne Games, three in Manchester and one each in Kuala Lumpur, Canada and New Zealand Games.
This time, Beijing Olympic bronze medalist Vijender Singh will spearhead the team at the Delhi Games. Vijender is currently at the top of the International Boxing Association list.
It is however, shooting, that has been India's strength in the Games. It helped India bag 26 medals in Melbourne, 24 in Manchester, 7 each in Kuala Lumpur and Canada and 5 in New Zealand. And this time around, shooters have promised to better their previous records. Having already claimed 38 gold medals in the past five editions of the Games, shooters are expected to capitalize on home advantage.
With world-class venue in Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range at the Games this time, it is no wonder that the shooters and the coaches as well as other sporting personalities are placing bets on this sport.
Even Organising Committee vice-chairman Randhir Singh, who himself was an Olympian shooter, could not help but praise the team profusely.
"We have some of the best shooters in the world like Ronjan Sodhi, Samaresh Jung and Abhinav Bindra," Randhir Singh had said during a guided media tour of the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range.
It is not surprising that shooting has won India medals in previous two editions of the Olympics, with Bindra winning the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore earning a silver in 2004 Olympics at Athens.
Next in line of medal-prospect is weightlifting, which has sometimes managed to earn even more medals than shooting.
From 1990 to 2002, weightlifting contributed to nearly half of India's medal tally. In 1990, weightlifting bagged 24 medals for India, while in 1994 and 1998 Games, it gave the country 11 and 13 medals, respectively.
Its biggest medal haul came in 2002 Manchester Games when Indian weightlifters won as many as 27 medals, including 11 gold, nine silver and seven bronze out of the country's overall tally of 69 medals.
However, weightlifting ended on a disappointing note in the 2006 Melbourne Games where it just managed to earn nine medals (three gold, five silver and a bronze).
Favorites to win gold medals in the CWG 2010 are defending champion in women's 58kg Renubala Chanu, K Ravi Kumar (men's 69 kg) and Soniya Chanu (women's 48kg). Melbourne silver-medallist L Monika Devi also make a comeback after her two-year ban for doping.
Meanwhile, experts have said that this time around, wrestling can spring up some surprises as it has a strong possibility of winning medals.
Although wrestling has never been a consistent performer in the past editions of the CWG, but it managed to win six medals in Melbourne Games, more than boxing.
Led by Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award winner Sushil Kumar, who has just returned after winning the FILA 2010 World Wrestling Championships in Moscow, the team looks promising this time.
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