As the Tokyo Olympics in Japan continue apace, India has hopes of improving on its medal tally from 2016 when the country had achieved just two medals
They came in the form of a silver for badminton player P. V. Sindhu and a bronze for freestyle wrestler Sakshi Malik.
So, just how realistic are India’s hopes for this year and who are the athletes that are most likely to become stars? We spoke to journalists from JustGamblers who told us,
“There is certainly a good opportunity for India to achieve medal success at the Olympics this time out. From a betting point of view, most of the action seems to be around wrestling stars like Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia. They are top names in the sport and have a good chance to bring home gold medals if they are at the top of the game.”
It seems there is reason for optimism when it comes to certain sports. Let’s take a closer look at four athletes who are at the centre of this optimism including Phogat and Punia.
Athletes Who Can Rein In Medals For India At The Tokyo Olympics
Vinesh Phogat
There has been some unrest in the Phogat camp over the last few days. The reigning Asian Games and Commonwealth Games champion, and World Championships bronze medallist, had travel issues on the way to Japan. She was found to have overstayed her European visitor’s visa by one day following time spent training in Hungary.
The issues have now been resolved and the star wrestler who has worked hard to get the this point is all set to compete for the gold medal when the 53kg women’s freestyle wrestling category competition starts on August 5.
Amit Panghal
In the boxing arena, Amit Panghal is the only Indian contender with a realistic medal chance. He is currently world number one and will start the competition in the Round of 16.
As the Olympic boxing schedule progresses, Panghal will expect to land a medal. He is certainly in a good position to do so and boxing fans in the country have high expectations.
Bajrang Punia
Bajrang Punia is another top wrestling hope who stands a good chance of reaching the podium. He is competing in the Men’s 65kg Freestyle competition. As a reigning Asian champion, he is seeded number two and has had a good run-up to the games.
Punia is one of seven freestyle wrestlers from India competing at the Olympics. Along with Vinesh Phogat, he stands the best chance of achieving medal success.
Neeraj Chopra
There is real excitement about Neeraj Chopra’s chances in the Olympic javelin competition. The 23-year-old is currently ranked fourth in the world and a podium place is certainly within his reach. The one thing that may go against Chopra is his lack of preparation for the Olympics. He has only competed in one top-class international event in the Olympic run-up.
However, Chopra will still feel confident that he can be successful in winning a medal if he performs at his best. Sports fans in India will certainly be hoping that this is the case.
Only time will tell if these athletes achieve medal success. India awaits the results of their endeavours with bated breath.
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