With the summer Olympic Games, slated to begin on August 8, barely a week away, the nation is wondering whether our contingent will be able to rewrite its dismal record at the quadrennial event.
Be that as it may, like always, there has been a glimmer of hope thanks to the spirited performance of a few athletes in the past couple of years.
Undoubtedly, the absence of the hockey team at the showpiece event will be a big disappointment.
Much is expected of the champion sports personalities — Anju Bobby George (Long Jump), Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi (Tennis), Dola Banerjee (Archery), Rajvardhan Singh Rathore and Manavjit Singh Sandhu (Shooting) — in the fray.
A lot is riding on Kolkata’s Dola Banerjee. A product of the Tata Archery Academy at Jameshedpur, the introvert archer has done us proud at the World Cup in Dubai last year, by winning the coveted gold medal. Archery may not have been a popular sport in India but her stellar performance may change the perception.
Encore is expected of army man Rajvardhan Singh Rathore, who won silver in double trap shooting at the Athens Olympics. But the temperamental shooter has since undergone an emotional roller-coaster, accentuated by a self-confessed lack of motivation, and a lot will depend on his frame of mind on the D Day. Shooting remains one of India’s best bets, with the rest of the pack —Anjali Ved Pathak, Manavjit Singh Sandhu and Abhinav Bindra —.all capable of springing a surprise or two.
It’s a last fling at immortality for the Indian Express — tennis duo Paes and Bhupathi — as well. Lee and Hesh, notwithstanding their seemingly “irreconcilable personal differences”, have decided to bury their troubled past to give the best shot at the medal. While, Sania Mirza — provided she remains fighting fit and hungry for the title in the coming weeks — completes the medal prospect as far tennis is concerned.
Long jumper Anju Bobby George, one hope, won’t flatter to deceive, this time around. Though she had had her moments on the podium — Anju bagged silver at the Asian Indoor Championship in Doha — consistency, like most Indian Olympians, has never been her middle name.
Will the proven ones or a rookie do India proud at Beijing remains the big question? But, one thing is for sure, sporting glory will definitely translate to cult following for the winner back home.
