Indians eye double-digit haul

Paris, July 25

Some would be carrying a huge burden of expectations, some would look to spring a surprise and a few more would be eyeing the perfect closure to their glittering careers as the 117-strong Indian contingent aims for a better-than-before performance in the Olympics. India returned from Tokyo with seven medals, and it is only natural that a double-digit performance is now desired.

Except for wrestlers, who have waded through a highly controversial build-up, athletes in all disciplines have had no complaints about their preparations. Whether it was training abroad or getting the best of facilities to sharpen their skills, there was planning in place. But will the hard work, the strategies and the unbridled support translate into medals? It will be a Herculean task, given that except for reigning Olympics champion Neeraj Chopra, not many are top contenders in their respective disciplines. — PTI

Panchkula sleep doctor in India camp

India’s athletes are being told that plenty of shut-eye could be the foundation for Olympics success and the team has roped in sleep therapist Monika Sharma to keep them at their sharpest in Paris. The Panchkula-based Sharma says her appointment might be groundbreaking for India but is in line with what traditional sports powerhouses do. Sharma, who did her post-doctoral studies in the US, said that optimised sleep can improve an athlete’s reaction time by 11% and their shot accuracy by 15%. Reuters