India Had One Of Their Best-ever Finishes At The Commonwealth Games, With Youngsters Adding To The Glitter And The Promise Of A Much-improved Finish In The Upcoming Asian Games In Jakarta.
AN ALL-INDIAN women’s singles badminton final. Team gold in the same sport. One-two finishes in the shooting range. Team gold in table tennis, for both women and men. These Commonwealth Games, held in sunny Gold Coast in Australia, brought 66 medals of which 26 were gold, more than their silver and bronze medal hauls. Unprecedented in comparison to previous tallies in the Games, save for the one in New Delhi, in 2010. The third position bettered the 2014 performance in Glasgow by just two medals (India had finished in fifth place then), but were far superior in terms of the aggregate gold medal count.
While it has added to the promise for the Asian Games, the 2022 edition of the CWG in Birmingham will pose bigger threats, with shooting not a part of the Games roster, a sport that fetched India a total of 16 medals this time, including seven gold. By winning medals outside the traditional bastions of shooting, wrestling and weightlifting, India made a quantum leap in multi-sporting events, raising its profile, and indeed expectations, ahead of the Asian Games, set to take place in August.
Long considered India’s favourite multi-discipline event, India’s athletes thrived once again at Gold Coast. The success was eye-catching: India medalled in nine out of the 16 events it participated in, some of them by teenagers making their Games debut. Anish Bhanwala, 15, became India’s youngest-ever Commonwealth Games medallist, while 16-year-old Manu Bhaker triumphed over compatriot and former World No. 1 Heena Sidhu (above). The vast gulf in the ages of athletes meant the younger ones made a victorious start to their careers, while seasoned campaigners like Sushil Kumar, MC Mary Kom and Saina Nehwal cemented their reputation as Games greats.
Whether or not it will translate into continental success at the Asian Games, and indeed later at the 2020 Olympics, remains to be seen. But hopes are high.
This story is from the May 2018 edition of Sports Illustrated India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2018 edition of Sports Illustrated India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Hockey World Cup- India Gears Up For Glory
Hosts India will have to play out of their skins to win their second Hockey Men’s World Cup title.
Best Fitness Games For Workout
If going to the gym and bulking up the body is your idea of getting in shape, it’s time you reconsider it. From bodyweight training to resistance and high-intensity workouts, here is how you can ace the fitness game without giving up on your workout targets for the year yet again.
Novak Djokovic Has Proved His Mettle Yet Again
Sport can be cruel and unforgiving, but it is also humbling. Over the years, many great athletes have succumbed to the various forces in playmost of which, if not all, are not under their controland while some could never reclaim their past glory, others showed why they really can never be counted out. Novak Djokovic is one of them
Do Virat Kohli's Captaincy Skills Call For A DRS?
No doubt Virat Kohli is the best batsman to have emerged from India in recent years. He is a lion among kittens, Atlas shouldering the weight of India's batting. But, as a captain overseas, he has a long way to go.
Lebron James
In 2016, Northeast Ohio’s Favourite Son Used His Incomparable Skills to Deliver a Title to a Suddenly Revitalised City, While Using His Voice to Have an Even Wider Impact.
Winter Workout: Hot Moves For Cold Days
With the advent of the chilly months, it can become tough to brave the cold and train when all you want to do is curl up under a warm blanket. Trainer Raoul Hirani and physiotherapist Tariq Wasim tell us how professional footballer keep going, without letting the cold play spoilsport.
A Steep Learning Curve
Making the transition from the junior level to the senior team has been quite challenging but a hugely rewarding experience.
Scorecard - Don't Blame It on Rio
Apathy towards the Olympics could cast golf in a negative light and jeo paradise its standing with the IOC for the 2024 Games and beyond.
Rahul Dravid: The Great Wall Of India
Rahul Dravid’s contribution to Indian cricket or, rather, the game, is not just confined to his record with the bat. A true philosopher, he continues to inspire as well as serve cricket on and off the field.
P.V. Sindhu, Sportsperson Of The Year
A Dream Run at the 2016 Olympics was followed by major successes on the International tour, making Sindhu the unanimous choice for the sportsperson of the Year award
