With the largest contingent ever, 117 athletes, India went to Paris with the expectation of touching the double-digit medal tally for the primary time.It was an extended shot, however there was hope.
India began nicely, with shooter Manu Bhaker profitable a bronze in girls’s 10m air pistol on Day 2 of the competitors on July 28. Two days later, Bhaker created historical past by turning into first Indian to win a number of medals at an Olympic version, publish independence, when she partnered with Sarabjot Singh for a bronze in blended workforce 10m air pistol occasion on July 30.
The hope for a double-digit medal tally was additional ignited when Swapnil Kusale gained India’s first medal in rifle 3P occasion. Kusale struck bronze in males’s 50m rifle three place on August 1. Three capturing medals was a terrific begin after the game drew clean within the final two editions in Rio and Tokyo.
(L-R): High – Manu Bhaker, Sarabjot Singh, Aman Sehrawat and Neeraj Chopra; Backside – Indian hockey workforce and Swapnil Kusale. (ANI Photograph)
However India endured an extended medal drought within the subsequent seven days, which left India’s hope of touching double digit figures in tatters. From there on, the race was to match the Tokyo success if not bettering it.
It had a couple of medal prospects line-up for the final 5 days of motion. Neeraj Chopra was there, the hockey workforce was nonetheless in, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and wrestlers have been additionally in rivalry.
On the 11th day of the competitors,
Vinesh Phogat assured India a medal by turning into the primary feminine Indian wrestler to enter the ultimate. However it was adopted by devastating information the very subsequent day, when the grappler was disqualified for being 100g chubby for her 50 kg freestyle ultimate. It was a giant jolt for the nation as a positive shot medal was worn out. The IOA and the wrestler have filed an enchantment for a silver medal on the Courtroom of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), whose verdict is now anticipated by August 13.
A day earlier than the Vinesh fiasco, the Indian hockey workforce misplaced its semi-final in opposition to Germany, leaving them to compete for bronze once more. And so as to add extra distress, India’s lone weightlifter in Paris, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, a Tokyo Olympic silver medallist, missed out on a medal by ending fourth within the 49kg occasion.
The subsequent day, August 8, was an important one for India as its greatest gold-medal prospect, defending champion Neeraj Chopra, was competing within the javelin throw ultimate.
The day began nicely for India. Earlier than the large javelin ultimate, the Indian hockey workforce beat Spain 2-1 to win successive bronze medals on the Video games. It was the primary back-to-back medals for the hockey workforce in 52 years.
Within the massive javelin ultimate, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem outclassed the complete subject with an Olympic file throw of 92.97m in his second try. Tokyo gold medalist Neeraj Chopra responded with a season greatest throw of 89.45m quickly after Nadeem’s monstrous try. However Neeraj failed to enhance his mark and needed to accept a silver in the long run.
The 2 medals on August Eight took India’s tally to 5 – one silver and 4 bronze.
On the identical day, younger wrestler Aman Sehrawat misplaced his semifinal bout and his bronze match the subsequent day was one of many few medal prospects left for the nation on the Video games. Sehrawat didn’t disappoint and gained an emphatic bout to turn into the youngest Indian medalist at 21 on August 9.
India’s marketing campaign ended on the penultimate day of the Paris Olympics, after wrestler Reetika Hooda went out of medal rivalry.
So the ultimate depend for India is six medals – one silver and 5 bronze. Fairly quick from their preliminary ambition of a double-digit determine and a bit behind their greatest outing ever in Tokyo.
Manu Bhaker: India’s Historical past-maker At Paris Olympics 2024
So, was it a flop present for India or is there progress regardless of not enhancing the medal tally?
Abhinav Bindra, India’s first particular person Olympic gold medallist, praised the Indian contingent for his or her commendable efficiency.
“I believe it has been a spirited efficiency. All our athletes have carried out at a excessive degree,” Bindra informed IANS, emphasizing the importance of their efforts. “We could have six medals to point out on our tally, however when you actually go in-depth into performances, we now have by no means had a Video games the place our athletes have been so aggressive throughout disciplines, a lot of them have been near medaling.”
It is true, India had fairly a couple of close to misses in Paris. It had as many as six fourth place finishes along with Vinesh’s disqualification. So, seven extra medals have been in touching distance for Indian athletes this time round. If solely two of them had transformed into medals, India would have had their greatest haul ever.
So, Bindra is just not incorrect. Indian athletes have competed at a really excessive degree throughout disciplines and have been very near medalling too. Therefore, we won’t name it a complete catastrophe as there are fairly a couple of enhancements. However being the world’s most populous nation and with ever enhancing amenities for varied sports activities, the variety of medals anticipated and gained by the Indian athletes on the Video games are nonetheless far behind the world requirements.
