New Delhi:
Their return to the Commonwealth Games after a 32-year gap has been marred by a delay in procuring new equipment and dengue but Indian cyclists remain upbeat about their chances despite their medal hopes being slim at best against powerhouses such as Australia.
Janki Das was the first Indian cyclist, who took part in the 1938 Sydney Games, and the last time an Indian rider featured in the event was Avtar Singh Dogra in the 1978 Edmonton edition.
A 27-member is gearing up for the challenge that awaits them in the October 3 to 14 event against a strong field here but Cycling Federation of India are bullish about the host riders' chances despite the torrid build-up which saw two of the team members being laid low by dengue.
Having got no doctor for the squad, the team received a setback when two top cyclists, Somvir and Vinod Malik, contracted dengue but the duo is said to recovering well now.
The Manipuri duo of Bikram Singh and Rameshwari Devi would spearhead the charge and CFI is even expecting a medal from Bikram, who clinched a bronze in an Asian-level championship in Japan three months ago.
"Indian cyclists are participating in Commonwealth Games after a long time and the riders' preparations are also going well. The brand new cycles, which will be used by our racers, have arrived in the country and it will be available to the riders soon," CFI Sports Manager Dipender Singh Rathore said.
"We have picked the squad after watching their performance in the trial events. Bikram is now in good form, he has done well in Japan and I think, we can expect a medal from him in the Delhi Games also," Rathore added.
However, Rathore reminded that it would be a tough fight for the Indians with riders from some of the top countries participating in the mega-event.
"But I must say the competition will be quite tough because there will be cyclists from countries like Ireland, England, Scotland, New Zealand and South Africa."
The cyclists, who are now practising in NIS Patiala under the guidance of Australian coach Graham Seers and head coach Chayan Chowdhury, would shift to the Games Village after it opens on September 23.
Chowdhury was also satisfied with the preparation and said the riders would start using their new cycles within two-three days.
"Our preparations are good and the riders' performance is also going up. Recently we have got a medal in Japan and I am hopeful that a medal would also come in Delhi Games," Chowdhury said from Patiala.
"The racers would get their new cycles in a couple of days. The new cycles which are being transported here are of very good quality. I believe that will help the riders when they compete in the Games," he added.
He was also of the opinion that the delay in handing the all-important equipment to the Indian riders would not hamper their preparation.
"They were practising with their own cycles which are also of good quality. It will not be a problem, now the riders will start using the new ones," Chowdhury said.
CFI had selected a core group of 54 cyclists two years ago through an open trial. Since then there have been several trials through which the non-performers were eliminated from the list.
Indians would also expect good performance from the likes of Amandeep Singh, Harpreet Singh and woman rider Mahita Mohan.
Maniton Singh, the fastest Indian in last month's Delhi Cyclothon international race with a timing of 2:08.02 seconds, however, could not find a place in the final CWG squad.
The riders also got exposure in the run-up to the Games when they travelled to Australia for a month-long training programme recently.
A total of 48 medals are on offer in 14 track events -eight for men, six for women and two road events.
Both Rathore and Chowdhury were all praise for the new Rs 150 crore cycling velodrome at the Indira Gandhi Stadium complex and hoped the Indians would perform well there.
"It is absolutely world-class, one of the best velodromes in the world. We hope our cyclists would perform well there," they said.