Game for Paris Olympics
Vinayak Padmadeo
In less than two weeks’ time, on July 26, the greatest sporting show on earth will begin with a grand opening ceremony in Paris. The Indian contingent is scattered all over the world in the last ditch run-ins to get ready for their big day. Russia, Germany, Romania, Poland, Turkey, Switzerland and Japan are the countries where Indian athletes have touched base to sharpen their tools and techniques. There are some like Antim Panghal, too. The 53kg wrestler, heir to Vinesh Phogat’s legacy, has chosen to stay in Hisar, Haryana, rather than taking a punt on foreign lands. The reason — her chosen sport, that has brought a medal in every Olympics since Beijing in 2008 where Sushil Kumar won an unlikely bronze through repechage, has in the last year-and-a-half been in a state of limbo.
The wrestlers’ protest against the then Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, that started from Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, in January 2023 broke the very foundations of the sport. As a result, there has hardly been any national camp since. Even with the new WFI executive taking over, things are not any different. There is confusion all around. The Sanjay Singh-led body is recognised by the United World Wrestling, but not by the Union sports ministry. Now it is every man or, in Antim’s case, every woman for herself.
“I wanted to go out and train but there was confusion about the pre-Olympic trials. I thought it was better to stay in Hisar and prepare rather than land in a situation wherein I am called back for the trials,” Antim says.
The WFI, after much dillydallying, decided not to hold any trials for the Olympic quota winners. By then, it was too late for Antim to change her training base. Her focus now is to return with a medal. “I have already worn the Team India kit. I had goosebumps and even though this is my first Olympics and perhaps I am the youngest in the wrestling team, I want to make everyone proud. Sakshi Malik is the only woman wrestler who has won a medal. We as a team want to return with one as well,” she adds.
A little over 2,900 km away in Dagestan, Russia, Aman Sehrawat nurtures the same dream. “I am mindful of the fact that our sport has got us medals regularly, and I will do everything to make sure we continue with our winning ways,” says Sehrawat, who will be the only Indian male wrestler in the fray this time.
“It has been a very difficult period for all, especially the youngsters, who lost out on competitions during the protest. Some lost their chances to represent in juniors, some lost out on jobs but we have to move on now and it is up to us to bring a few smiles back,” he adds.
Shooting, a big draw
The sport has been an enigma since the 2012 London Games, where Vijay Kumar and Gagan Narang won silver and bronze in the 25m rapid fire and 10m air rifle competitions. After failing badly in both the 2016 Rio and 2020 (held in 2021) Tokyo Games, the spotlight has somewhat dimmed on the shooting contingent. In Tokyo, the team was full of stars who shot exceptional scores leading up to the Games. Divyansh Panwar, Elavenil Valarivan, Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary were on the top of rankings, but failed to get a podium finish. This time though, no one is talking about the numbers.
With India fielding a 22-member squad, its highest participation ever, the coaches are keeping their targets close to their chest. The focus now is the simulation trainings. The final format has been changed for the Paris competition. In its earlier version, the qualification rounds and medal rounds would be conducted within a space of a few hours. This time, the finals will be held a day after the qualifications.
“It has changed yes, but I do not think it would matter to me as we, in rapid fire, are used to shooting for two days in our qualification rounds,” reckons Anish Bhanwala, one of the prospects in the 25m rapid fire competition. In this discipline, shooters have to shoot two rounds of 30 shots each over a short burst of eight, six and four seconds. The top eight in total score go to the finals. “For some shooters in the other disciplines, it will be tricky as their qualifications and final rounds were held within hours. But everyone is working hard to overcome this and I am hopeful that we will win some medals this time,” adds Anish, who is currently in Suhl, Germany, where he competed against many of his competitors in the Rapid Fire Cup.
“I know a lot of people are mindful of the rule change and are working hard. As for me, training has not changed a bit and my final simulation training is held once a week,” explains Anish.
All hopes on Neeraj
The reigning Olympic and World Champion javelin thrower is once again the top draw. The Army man from Khandra (Panipat) has racked up impressive numbers since triumphing in Tokyo with a best throw of 87.58m. Since then, the golden man of Indian athletics has had an impressive 15 podium finishes. Currently regaining his fitness as an adductor muscle strain has slowed him down, Neeraj Chopra is training in Antalya, Turkey, before he mounts a challenge to regain his Olympic title.
Steeple chasers Avinash Sable and Parul Chaudhary are in St Moritz, Switzerland, while members of the 400m relay team are on their way to Poland for the last leg of the Olympic Games preparation. They will join Kishore Kumar Jena (javelin), Jyothi Yarraji (100m hurdles), Jeswin Aldrin (long jump) and Praveen Chithravel (triple jump) there.
Hockey challenge
After winning the Asian Games gold in Hangzhou, the men’s hockey team’s form under Craig Fulton is patchy. The team lacks intensity in attacks, and that showed in the disastrous tour of Australia where they lost all five games. In the European Pro League that followed, the results were mixed and that muted enthusiasm. Add to the fact that India is part of the group that includes Belgium, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand and Ireland, and the reigning bronze medallists’ progression in the knockouts looks anything but assured.
No big build-up
What is missing in the run-up to the Paris Games is the big build-up from the authorities. The normally confident Union sports ministry and its affiliate, Sports Authority of India, have not set any target. This is a vast difference from the Asian Games held in Hangzhou last year, where both had gone into a publicity frenzy with the catchphrase, ‘Ab ki baar, 100 paar’. They are circumspect. An internal document of the Target Olympics Podium Scheme (TOPS) suggests that there are only three athletes — Neeraj, badminton duo of Chirag Shetty/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Antim — who are surely in the medal hunt. Chances of a podium finish for the likes of pugilist Nikhat Zareen and reigning medallists like Lovlina Borghohain and Mirabai Chanu are pegged low. So, ‘Ab ki baar, kitne paar?’
India in Olympics
India is fielding a total of 118 athletes in the Paris Olympics. This includes 111 athletes and seven alternate athletes.
So far, India has won 35 medals at the Olympics but only rifle ace Abhinav Bindra (2008) and Neeraj Chopra (2021) have won individual gold medals.
Sushil Kumar (2008 & 2012) and PV Sindhu (2016 & 2021) are the only two Indians to have won two individual medals.
Hockey teams have won a total of 12 medals, including 8 gold, the last of which came in 1980. India’s bronze finish at the Tokyo Games ended a wait of 41 years for the hockey fans.
The Tokyo Olympics was the most successful for India, with the contingent winning 7 medals (1 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze). It surpassed the 2012 London Olympics tally where Indian athletes won six medals.
What’s new
Breakdance will make its debut as a sport in the 2024 Games. Besides it, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has added eight more new events, including three in sailing — kitesurfing, mixed 470 (sailing) and offshore sailing — and two in canoeing: women’s and men’s extreme slalom.
2024 will also be the first gender-equal Olympic Games. The organisers expect the same number of male and female participants, at 5,250 each.
The Paris Games will also be a global carbon-neutral event. It aims to reduce event-related CO2 emissions by half. The previous Games emitted an average of 3.5 million tonnes of CO2.
