India’s greatest athletics medal haul had come on the Delhi CWG in 2010 with 2 gold, 3 silver and seven bronze
India’s greatest athletics medal haul had come on the Delhi CWG in 2010 with 2 gold, 3 silver and seven bronze
The highlight will probably be on Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra however the likes of Murali Sreeshankar and Avinash Sable are additionally sturdy medal contenders because the Indian athletics group eyes its greatest Commonwealth Games (CWG) present away from dwelling within the upcoming version in Birmingham.
Woman javelin thrower Annu Rani and 38-year-old discus thrower Seema Antil, essentially the most adorned Indian on the CWG with three silver and one bronze, might additionally end on the rostrum, whereas India is predicted to win a couple of medal in males’s triple soar occasion.
With a number of world-class athletes rising, particularly after Chopra gained a historic athletics gold in Tokyo Olympics final 12 months, India can be searching for at the least half a dozen medals within the July 28 to August 8 Games.
The nation’s greatest athletics medal haul had come on the Delhi CWG in 2010 with 2 gold, 3 silver and seven bronze. That efficiency will certainly be tough to match however the Indians can be searching for their second greatest present ever.
The second greatest present from the Indian athletics contingent on the CWG until now has been the three-medal hauls (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze every) within the 2014 and 2018 editions.
With all of the six finalists within the ongoing World Championships in Eugene, USA, heading to Birmingham the place competitors will probably be comparatively simpler, India would fancy their probabilities to win a handful of medals.
The nation has to date gained 28 medals (5 gold, 10 silver, 13 bronze) throughout editions for the reason that legendary Milkha Singh claimed a gold in males’s a quarter mile occasion in 1958.
Sekar Dhanalakshmi, who was to compete in girls’s 100m and 4x100m relay, and Aishwarya Babu, who was to function in lengthy soar in addition to triple soar, had been pulled out of the 36-member group after failing dope checks.
Dhanalakshmi wouldn’t have a lot likelihood in 100m however her absence will deal a blow to the ladies’s 4×100 relay group although India are usually not medal favourites within the presence of England, Jamaica, Canada and Australia.
Aishwarya might have been a medal contender — for a bronze — along with her nationwide mark of 14.14m set on the National Inter-State Championships final month.
Challenge awaiting Neeraj
Defending champion Chopra is, nevertheless, not a certain shot for a gold medal as he must battle for the highest honour in opposition to Anderson Peters of Grenada. Peters had completed third within the 2018 Gold Coast Games with a greatest throw of 82.20m whereas Chopra gained gold with 86.47m.
Since then, Peters has gained the 2019 World Championships gold and has thrown 90m-plus thrice this 12 months.
Chopra has crushed Peters twice whereas the 24-year-old Grenadian had prevailed over the Indian as soon as of their three conferences this 12 months to date.
India can win two medals within the males’s javelin throw occasion as 2012 Olympics champion Keshorn Walcott, the third greatest amongst Commonwealth athletes behind Peters and Chopra, is struggling this season.
India’s DP Manu and Rohit Yadav, who made it to the World Championships last together with Chopra, are subsequent within the season’s listing amongst Commonwealth athletes.
Manu had gained a gold on the National Inter-State Championships final month with a throw of 84.35m whereas Rohit certified for his maiden last within the World Championships.
Joint second in season’s listing along with his 8.36m, Sreeshankar is a scorching favorite to win a medal in Birmingham. He was a medal contender within the World Championships however completed seventh with a greatest effort of seven.99m.
The World Championships disappointment might spur him to nail a medal within the CWG. His seventh spot within the Worlds last was the perfect amongst Commonwealth athletes with Jamaica’s Wayne Pinnock and Australia’s Henry Frayne ending ninth and twelfth respectively.
The different Indian lengthy jumper, Muhammed Anees Yahiya may be in medal competition if he can clear 8m mark, which he has performed 5 instances this season with a better of 8.15m in March.
Sable, on his half, must battle once more with Kenya’s World Championships bronze medallist Conseslus Kipruto and Abraham Kibiwot within the 3000m steeplechase for the highest honours.
Kibiwot had completed fifth within the Eugene World Championships in a sluggish and tactical race whereas Sable ended at eleventh. Kipruto and Kibiwot had gained gold and silver respectively within the final version in Gold Coast.
Others assured heading into CWG
India’s three triple jumpers, Praveen Chitravel, Abdulla Aboobacker and Eldhose Paul, who made it to the World Championships last, are the perfect performers amongst Commonwealth athletes this season.
Chitravel and Aboobacker have breached the 17m mark this season, and they might look to make amends after their disappointing performances within the World Championships, the place they might give you simply 16.49m and 16.45m respectively.
Annu Rani may also be assured heading into the Birmingham CWG after her second consecutive World Championships last look. She will probably be up in opposition to the likes of Australia’s 2019 world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber, additionally Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist, and Canada’s Elizabeth Gleadle for high honours.
Women’s discus throw may also fetch India two medals, from Seema Antil and Navjeet Kaur Dhillon, identical to they gained a silver and a bronze in 2018 version with 60.41m and 57.43m efforts respectively. Any distance past 60m is sweet for a CWG medal.
Antil is gunning for her fifth medal in as many appearances. She has by no means returned empty-handed from the CWG although her greatest efficiency this season was the 57.09m effort at Chula Vista in USA a number of days in the past.
Navjeet Kaur Dhillon has not crossed 60m mark this 12 months with a better of 58.03m in May, however in a weak area, she will be able to win a medal if she improves her season’s greatest.
The marathon race, wherein India’s Nitender Rawat will participate within the males’s occasion, will probably be held on July 30, whereas the opposite observe and area occasions will probably be held from August 2 to 7.
There was choice drama additionally as excessive jumper Tejaswin Shankar was not picked within the group after he breached the qualifying normal laid down by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). After Shankar petitioned on the Delhi High Court, the AFI included him within the group however the Birmingham organisers initially refused to just accept it solely to make a U-turn later and clear his entry on the final minute.
Source: www.thehindu.com
