Which sportsperson has the best chance of winning gold for India at the Tokyo Olympics?
- 20 July 2021
Top 3 contenders to win gold for India at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics:
Beyond the blues awaits a new tomorrow. With the grand quadrennial sporting event- Tokyo Olympics 2020 kicking off in about a week, the whole Indian fraternity would be braiding dreams and expectations around our athletes who are highly covetous in fetching glory ahead of the posh Olympic tournament. After an underwhelming campaign at the Rio Olympics 2016, the Indian athletes are now raring to give their best shot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Indian squad comprises 126 strong athletes competing in the Tokyo Olympics. Challenges galore, but this time a chorus of delirium has hit a different high, with more possibilities of Indians avouching success and glory. Several names have emerged as medal contenders and this feature spotlights three prospects who have the best chance of winning gold for India.
- Bajrang Punia (Wrestling)
Photo Credit: IANS|India's Bajrang Punia to compete in 65kg category at Tokyo Olympics
Wrestling is considered the world's oldest sport which has a rich legacy. Over the years, wrestling has been one of India’s most rewarding Olympic sports. India has featured many champion wrestlers in the past years, which includes the likes of Sushil Kumar (Bronze at 2008 Beijing and Silver in 2012 London), Yogeshwar Dutt (Bronze at 2012 London), and Sakshi Malik (Bronze at 2016 Rio).
Hailing from the little town of Jhajjar in Haryana, Bajrang Punia has already taken the wrestling fraternity by storm and is definitely a hot prospect to look out for in the Tokyo Olympic 2020 tournament. This would be his first stint competing in this mega-sporting event. Of late Punia has emerged as a good, new-fashioned, and inspiring contender for Tokyo Olympics. The 2019 world wrestling championship saw the tenure of Bajrang Punia rise. He won the bronze, thereby qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in the 65 kg freestyle wrestling event
In the recently concluded Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series 2021, Bajrang won the 65kg freestyle with an unparalleled comeback in the final during the last 30 seconds. Bajrang Punia has been competing regularly over the last couple of years, accumulating a fair bit of success too, medaling in each of the 9 tournaments he has competed in.
He is currently ranked no.1 in the World in the 65kg category with 14 points and will look to bank on it, and look forward to winning gold in his maiden Olympic berth.
- PV Sindhu (Badminton)
Photo Credit: Getty Images
The 2016 Rio Olympics was something special for Indian Badminton. The final encounter between Sindhu and Caroline has enormously stuck the eyes of Indian audiences, but the post-trauma of bearing Sindhu’s loss seemed inevitable for the whole of the nation. In what turned out to be a classic encounter, PV Sindhu lost to Caroline Marine in the final match at the Rio Olympics 2016. But reaching the finale stood like a milestone in Sindhu’s career and she made India fly in high colors that day.
Despite getting faltered to a deceive in the 2016 Olympic tournament, Indian badminton star PV Sindhu stands atop and will be hoping to weave the path to glory at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She remains to be one of the top contenders to win gold for India. Over the last couple of years, PV Sindhu has managed to maintain her ranking and form across various badminton tournaments. She also a clinched silver medal at the 2021 Swiss Open. Having won a lot of national and world tournaments, PV Sindhu will now be aiming to nail the gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
- Mirabai Chanu (Weightlifting)
Photo Credit: Getty Images
As the city of Tokyo envisioning a new excitement in form of the Olympics, all Indian eyes will be on the Manipur-based 49-kg category weightlifter- Mirabai Chanu. A gold medalist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, this young lifter from Manipur claimed her Olympic berth in April after winning the bronze medal in the Asian Championship in Tashkent. She is the only Indian to represent India in weightlifting, carrying the expectations of being a genuine medal contender.
Mirabai Chanu has a plethora of success participating in various tournaments across the world. It is evident that she has been among the top contenders of the 49kg event in the past few years and is placed 2nd in the 49kg category (4133,6172 points) on the Absolute ranking list. In the Asian Weightlifting Championship, Chanu lifted 86kg in snatch a world record of 119kg in clean and jerk for a total of 205kg to set a new world record in clean and jerk. Thus, Chanu will hope to build on her excellent form ahead of the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
By Baraneetharan K
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