You have reached the ESPN Africa edition, for the ESPN editions, click above.
Medals in primary competitions are won by margins. At the Olympics, that margin becomes even smaller. A bad lift for a weightlifter, a botched penalty corner conversion for a hockey team, or a bogey on the 17th hole for a golfer can be the difference between eternal glory and a lost chance at the podium.
As we approach the Paris Olympics, ESPN India takes a look at India’s most sensible medal contenders, what’s in their favor, and what they should be wary of.
Who: The reigning men’s Olympic javelin champion, the first Indian and boxing athlete to win an Olympic gold medal.
What works in his favor: Most of the world’s most productive pitchers have operated in the 87-89 meter diversity this year, which is exactly the diversity Neeraj excels at. The fact that he didn’t break the 90-meter mark doesn’t matter because he won every primary javelin throw occasion while playing in the throw diversity. It’s this consistency that sets it apart from its competitors. Although he hasn’t competed in many competitions this year, his 88. 36m effort at the Doha Diamond League is still the fourth-most productive throw of 2024.
Embarrassingly, Neeraj heads to Paris with an adductor challenge and has only competed on 3 occasions (only one of which had a box full of competitors). In fact, it’s not ideal that she’s only taken 16 shots at the festival this year, but it’s a component of her technique of prioritizing her fitness over competing this year.
‘Health is everything’: Neeraj Chopra prioritizes fitness over competitions ahead of Paris Olympics
Who: Only the Indian weightlifter who won a medal at the Olympics won silver in Tokyo.
What works in his favor: There is only one weightlifter among the 12 athletes in his department who has surpassed the two hundred kilo mark this year, a barrier that Mirabai has broken four times in his career. This gives him a realistic chance of achieving Olympic Games status. podium again. To do this, he has to lift between two hundred and 210 kg, which would be possible if he improves his grip to 90 kg. His target is 90kg in grappling and 115kg in target and pull, which would give him a total of 205kg – he would be smart to claim a medal.
Trouble spot: lack of costly chances and injuries. Mirabai has only competed 3 times since the beginning of 2023 and has suffered wrist, shoulder and hip injuries. Not ideal for an athlete preparing for her second Olympics. The lack of festival along with the demons beyond injuries may be playing on his mind.
On the way to Paris: Mirabai Chanu goes back to basics to seek her second Olympic medal
Who: A two-time Olympic medalist who could be the most successful individual Olympian in Indian history with a third medal in Paris.
What works in her favor: Sindhu is a top tournament player. She didn’t have a wonderful run in 2024, but she had a similar run in the build-up to the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2021 Tokyo Games, winning a medal. Sindhu’s winning percentage in 2024 is 62. 5%, very similar to 63% in 2016 and 62% in 2021.
Problem point: His return is promising, but the only worrying thing is his inability to close out matches from winning positions, as happened at the Malaysia Masters and Singapore Open. Most of his losses in 2024 can be attributed to some bad decisions and mistakes under pressure, which he will have to correct heading into Paris.
On the way to Paris: Forget about form, everything. . . it’s time for the PV of the great game of Sindhu
Who: The current bronze medalists from the Tokyo Olympics.
What works in their favor: they are a balanced team that has the right mix of fun and young people and is home to some of the most productive players in the world. PR goalkeeper Sreejesh is in form and if captain Harmanpreet Singh can live up to his reputation as one of the world’s most productive dragflickers, the team can be lethal. Add to this the artistic talents of Hardik Singh, and Craig Fulton’s men have a strong chance of being among the medallists again.
Problematic point: India will want to win their first three organisational matches [against New Zealand, Argentina and Ireland] to ensure their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages. Their final two matches will face two tough opponents, Belgium and Australia, who can go either way. Given their upside-down situation heading into the Olympics, it will be imperative for India’s men’s hockey team to get wins from the start.
The Indian Hockey Team for the Paris Olympics: Investigation of the National Team
Heading to Paris: Indian hockey takes advantage of the chaos to achieve Olympic glory
Who: The bronze medalist in the women’s 75kg category in Tokyo will compete in the 69kg category in Paris and a medal would make her the most successful Indian boxer at the Olympics.
What works in her favor: The 75kg department is best for Lovlina because she arguably wouldn’t have to worry about a grueling weight cut the day before her fights. He made a graceful transition to the senior weight class, won bronze at the World Championships and Asian Games, and is now boxing to his full potential. His speed decreased due to the higher weight category, but this was compensated for by more force in his punches.
Embarrassingly, Lovlina heads to Paris after competing in just one event, which saw her lose two of her fights at the Czech Republic Grand Prix last month. There have been rumors about imaginable glute problems, which is why he has only fought 3 fights in 2024. She will also face a giant field in Paris, adding to China’s Li Qiang, whom she lost in the finals of the Asian Games and in the Czech Republic.
On the way to Paris: Olympic history highlights and draw at Lovlina Borgohain
Who: The first Indian wrestler to qualify for 3 Olympic campaigns.
What works in her favor: Vinesh has been through it all in the last two years: she led protests against the leader of the Wrestling Federation of India and was accused of sexual assault. She was beaten by the police, brutally trolled online, completely character assassinated, and then injured her knee when she returned to wrestling. She decided to leave all that in time for the Olympic qualification, lowered her weight to 50 kg and won that very important quota. Vinesh is now in the best shape of her life and she is perhaps the hungriest she has ever been for that Olympic medal. She has nothing to lose and at the same time she has everything to gain.
Embarrassingly, he hasn’t competed much in the 50kg category in recent years and boxing is relentless, adding four-time world champion Yui Susaki, four-time Olympic medallist Mariya Stadnik and Tokyo bronze medallist Sarah Hildebrandt, and Dolgorjavyn Otgonjargal, a two-time silver medallist at the World Championships. The fact that he is unseeded at the Olympics will mean that Vinesh will not know his conflicting parties or his path to medals until the day before the competition.
On the way to Paris: Vinesh has already won the one of his life. Now he faces the challenge of his career.
Who: Double world champion, the most consistent Indian boxer in this Olympic cycle. He has lost two fights since 2022.
What works in his favor: For starters, the fact that he beat everyone present in the 52 kg category. She is light, throws a depraved mix of punches and has been the model woman of Indian boxing in recent times. It also helps that he spent a lot of time educating and educating with Turkish boxer Buse Naz Cakiroglu, a silver medalist in Tokyo, in April this year. Nikhat will know what to expect if she meets Cakiroglu at the medal circular in Paris.
Trouble spot: There’s rarely much worth worrying about for Nikhat, other than the fact that this will be her first Olympic appearance. Expectations will be high considering that she is a two-time world champion and has only suffered two defeats since 2022. So, it will be a matter of how Nikhat can get through the noise and give it his all in the ring.
On the way to Paris: why Nikhat Zareen needs that Olympic medal and has a chance of doing it
Who: World champion in women’s 50 m rifle 3 positions and current Asian Games champion.
What works in his favor: At 22, Sift has the world record to his name, beat the world champion for the gold medal at the Asian Games and is one of the Indian shooting contingent’s biggest medal hopes. is the most productive in the world in the most difficult field of distance shooting, which is reflected in the fact that she passed the NEET exam for which millions of people are taking the exam, but only 2. 5% of them are admitted in government medical colleges. Her most important weapon is her ability to shut down when she’s not on the range, which helps her give one hundred percent when she’s holding a rifle.
The embarrassing point is the tendency of Indian shooters to make mistakes in the Olympics, especially in the final rounds. It’s whatever sticks in Sift’s mind, especially the poor effects of the Indian shooters in Tokyo and Rio and the kind of expectations they have. The team has this time after earning a record 21 Olympic quotas. Sift is heading to his first Olympic Games and will have to find a way to triumph over the heavy burden of expectations.
On the way to Paris: Sift Kaur abandoned her medical studies for gambling, but now she has to heal the scars of the Indian shooting
Who: The world’s number one doubles team until last month, the men’s doubles unit in Indian history.
What works in their favor: They are India’s most productive bet for a first badminton doubles medal at the Olympics. The Sat-Chi, as they are commonly known, have continually broken barriers and established themselves as true world beaters. They know what it is. It’s like playing in big tournaments, having won medals in most of them, and it’s hard to stop them when they’re singing.
Embarrassing: Satwik is hampered by a shoulder injury that has been bothering him for a while now and the duo haven’t been in very good form lately. They have had a good year under the Roland-Garros name and their second place finishes at the Malaysia Open and India Open. However, since then it has been the other way around. They made an early exit at the All England and Singapore Open, then withdrew from protecting their name at the Indonesia Open. The need of the hour is for Satwik to be fitter and for the duo to find some momentum.
On the way to Paris: After a historic 2023, ‘hungry’ Sat-Chi strives and masters mind games
Who: Asian champion, former under-23 world champion and Asian Games bronze medalist. The Indian wrestler qualified for the Paris Games.
What works in its favor: It has lightning-fast feet and incredible stamina, which means it may not give you a moment to catch your breath. Aman’s offensive technique has won a lot of fights, but he’s also added an extra layer of defense to his game to make it more complete. He has been the most productive at what he does: he was Asian Cadet Champion, then Asian and World U23 Champion and has continued to make temporary progress on the senior circuit with gold at the Asian Championships and bronze at the Asian Games. The fact that he has spent the last 10 years educating and learning from his idol, Ravi Dahiya, will help him emulate, if not better, Tokyo Ravi’s silver medal.
Embarrassing point: Aman has spent about 20 months on the senior circuit, so the seriousness of the Olympics may affect him at this early level of his career. Furthermore, he is the Indian wrestler who qualifies for the Games and competes in Ravi’s weight division, so there is immense tension on his muscular shoulders.
Road to Paris: After his idol was toppled, Aman Sehrawa won his Olympic medal
Who: The Indian golfer of recent times. Won silver at the 2023 Asian Games and narrowly missed out on bronze at the Tokyo Olympics.
What’s in her favor: Aditi is playing the golf of her career and recently scored a 39. What also helped her is that she added 9 to 10 yards to her driving distances in the last two years, which He has taken his game to a higher level.
In addition, the Indian shirt highlights Aditi’s most productive skills. He was ranked 41st at the Rio Olympics and then moved on to fourth place in Tokyo and a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Games.
What bothers us is that he has a tendency to make mistakes when it comes to it most. It’s this trend that caused her to miss out on a medal in Tokyo when the final day arrived. He was unable to win the gold medal at the Asian Games when he was in a prime position to do so.
Road to Paris: Aditi Ashok has form and experience, will he be able to free himself from the ghost of big events?