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Indians raring to go
India's athletes will not only need mental toughness, but a spark of inspiration as they seek to improve their measly medal collection.
India's top athletes will not only need the mental toughness to defy a depressing history but a spark of inspiration as they seek to boost the measly medal collection in the Olympic arena when the 28th edition of the Games begin on Friday.
The Indians have managed just 14 medals, including eight golds brought by the hockey team, in the 104-year history of modern Olympics and it appears extremely unlikely that they would be able to make much of a ripple in the world's biggest sporting extravaganza which returns to its place of birth.
There have been some notable performers but their heroics have largely been overshadowed by the repeated failures, raising doubts about India's ability to make a mark at the highest level.
The last time India won a gold medal was in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 thanks to the hockey team but more than two decades have past with no signs of any addition to the gold medal tally.
India has fielded a 75-member contingent for the Games this time around but any hopes of a medal would largely depend on ace long jumper Anju Bobby George and the tennis duo of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi. The hockey team and the shooters have an outside chance of a medal but it remains to be seen whether they actually make it to the podium.
In the next two weeks, over 12,000 athletes from 202 nations will battle for glory in 37 disciplines with USA, Russia and China expected to maintain their supremacy in the first Olympics of the millennium.
The Athens-bound athletes had an extensive build-up to the Games with a number of exposure trips abroad but it remains to be seen whether the months of training could translate into a medal.
Star shooter Anjali Bhagwat, who has some creditable performances last year, will be on view on Saturday in the women's 10 m air rifle event alongwith Suma Shirur in a competition which was expected to be dominated by traditional powerhouses South Korea and China.
Manavjit Singh Sandhu and Mansher Singh will also test their shooting skills with the men's trap qualifications scheduled on the opening day of competitions.
The three Indians shuttlers — Aparna Popat, Abhinn Shyam Gupta and Nikhil Kanetkar — get into the act at the Galatsi Olympic Hall and would be more than satisfied if they can put it across their first round opponents in an event where India has abolutely no chance of a medal.
As per the draw, world number 27 Popat will take on African champion and 64th ranked Michelle Edwards of South Africa in the first round of the women's singles event. Kanetkar will play top Spanish shuttler Sergio Llopis while Gupta will have to face World No 16 Tae Sang Park of Korea in the opening round of the men's singles.
Kunjarani, currently ranked 10th in the world, is said to be the main medal prospect for the country despite the four-member team including Sydney bronze medal-winner Karnam Malleswari who will take part in the 63 kg category this time.
The two Indian paddlers — Mouma Das and Sharath Kamal — will also begin their campaign on Saturday with their priorities being to overcome the first hurdle.
The Indian hockey team, seeking to regain its lost glory, face their toughest match when they clash with defending champions the Netherlands in their opening Group-B match at the Helliniko Olympic complex on Sunday.
Hockey has been the gold-provider for India in the Olympics so far, but going by the baffling preparations and dismal show by the team in recent times, a podium finish appears extremely remote.
The unceremonious sacking of chief coach Rajinder Singh just a few weeks before the mega event may have surprised many, particularly when the Indian Hockey Federation had reposed faith on him just before the four-nation tournament in Germany.
New coach Gerhard Rach of Germany has promised an improved performance from the team and has even gone to the extent of saying that it has the potential of becoming the number one team. But for that to happen, the team needs to show the desired consistency.
Although the team has done hardly anything noteworthy to be considered a medal bet, it will be purely for emotional reasons that the focus will be more on them than other athletes who will do duty in Athens.
The team has a blend of experience and youth with stalwars like Dhanraj Pillay and Baljit Singh Dhillon in the squad but they need to produce that old magic in what would definitely be their last olympics.
The poor form of Gagan Ajit singh, Devesh Chauhan and some others have been a worrying factor for the coaching staff which also includes Oliver Kurtz of Germany and Jagbir Singh.
Group B also Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina. Securing a place in the semi-finals should be the first priority of the team which managed to earn a berth for the Olympics by finishing fourth behind Pakistan in the Madrid qualifying tournament in mid-march this year.
The showpiece athletic events are sheduled to begin from August 18 and ace long jumper Anju Bobby George will be the cynosure of all Indian eyes.
With a bronze medal in the wolrd athletic championship in Paris last year, the 27-year-old Anju will be India's main medal hope in the Games having made her presence felt in the world arena.
In the tune-up to the Athens Games, Anju has cleared over 6.80m twice, 6.82 and 6.83m to be precise at Doha, Qatar and at Eugene, Oregon, but both the efforts were wind-assisted.
With a best effort of 6.66 m this year without the help of wind, the national record holder (6.74 m) has relied on an extensive training abroad to fulfill a long cherished dream of winning an olympic medal.
The tennis duo of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, re-uniting on the court after a gap of nearly two years, have raised hopes of a medal after winning a Super Series title in Toronto on August 1, proving that the magic and the chemistry between the two estranged stars was still intact.
The pair has a realistic chance of claiming a medal if they display the same form that has helped them to win 23 titles on the tour when the tennis events begin on Sunday.
Leander, ranked 20th in doubles, had clinched the bronze medal in the Atlanta Olympics, and would be eager to add one more medal to his collection in what could turn out to be his third and last Olympics.
