NEW DELHI: India's most prolific Asian Games earlier this year followed by the best ever show at the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has dispelled doubts over country's aspirations to make Tokyo 2020 a momentous occasion in its sporting history.
From eight medals in the inaugural YOG eight years ago to 13 (3 gold, 9 silver, 1 bronze) this year, including a maiden gold-medal haul, India have broken new ground at the world level.
The three medals (1 gold, 2 silver) in the mixed events were not counted in the final medals tally since athletes from different nations combined to form mixed teams.
At the 2014 YOG, there was a major dip, with just two medals pocketed by India; but the recent sports movement in the country has led to a surge India hadn't experienced before in Youth Olympics.
SUPPLY CHAIN GETTING STRONGER
If the 69 medals at the Asiad in Indonesia was a promising signal from the seniors, the youth has ensured that the bench strength and supply chain is getting stronger and consistent.
The best example of that would be 2014 YOG silver medallist weightlifter Venkat Rahul Ragala. A junior four years ago, Ragala finished second in the boys' 77kg category. Living up to his promise, he clinched gold (85kg) at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Gold Coast, Australia, earlier this year.
"It helped me a lot. As a youngster, your body speed is good. But thoda dar rehta hai (there is little anxiety). As a teenager, you need to make a lot of sacrifice, have to leave enjoyment, you get little family time," Ragala, who is recuperating from a knee injury, shared his experience while speaking to TimesofIndia.com.
Talking about sacrifice, before Ragala won the 2014 YOG silver, his mother was down with a stomach ailment and advised to get operated. But she was adamant: " Mera bada beta (Rahul) aayega to operation karvaungi (I will get operated only when my elder son comes back)."
One year passed. Ragala was in training and couldn't visit the family. His mother's condition worsened. She had to go through an emergency operation and required B negative blood. Only Ragala was of the same blood group in the family, but he couldn't get back as early as he would have liked. Luckily, blood was arranged and his mother survived.
Putting all such hardships behind them and sacrifice the way very few can, these champions train to spend those two minutes on top of the podium and hear the national anthem as the tricolour goes up.
THE TRANSITION
But making a transition from junior to senior is where the mettle gets tested the most as competition at world level intensifies.
"Experience at junior level helps, but you need to be more calm. Meditation helps, you need to train more. In weightlifting, you have to increase your weight in senior category," Ragala added.
Interestingly this year, besides breaking barriers, some of the junior players are giving the seniors a run for their money.
Shooters like Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary and Mehuli Ghosh have done well both at the junior and senior levels.
Before her YOG gold, the 16-year-old Bhaker claimed double gold at the World Cup earlier in the year, followed by a CWG gold. She had a stutter at the Asiad, returning empty handed, but made up for it at the Youth Olympics.
Chaudhary, also 16, burst onto the scene striking gold at the Asian Games, and followed it up with junior World Cup and YOG gold.
Both Bhaker and Chaudhary won their medals in 10m air pistol event.
THE PROMISING NEW CROP
Weightlifter Jeremy Lalrinnunga (62kg) was the first to create history in Buenos Aires, winning India's maiden YOG gold. Badminton sensation Lakshya Sen, who is also the reigning Asian junior champion, fell at the last hurdle in boys' singles -- settling for a silver.
Remarkably, India's all four shooters at YOG returned with a medal, with Ghosh (girls' 10m air rifle) and Tushar Mane (boys' 10m Air Rifle) adding silver medals to the gold won by Bhaker and Chaudhary.
Simran (43kg freestyle wrestling), Suraj Panwar (boys' 5km walk) and Akash Malik (boys' individual archery) also finished with silver medals. The lone bronze medal was won by triple-jumper Praveen Chitravel.
The Indian contingent consisted of 46 athletes participating across 13 sports. And the heartening aspect of the campaign is that India won medals in eight of those sports. In 2010, eight medals came in five sports; and the two in 2014 were won in boxing and weightlifting.
Among the sports winning their maiden YOG medals were hockey, in which India made their debut appearance; shooting; and judo.
Played in the Hockey 5s format in this edition, India, who have the rich legacy of eight Olympic hockey gold, finished on the podium -- with both men and women winning silver.
Tababi Devi led the judo movement with her silver medal in girls' 44kg.
To summarise the achievement of these champions, there are a lot of distractions at a young age, especially in the present era of internet and social media; but the results at YOG 2018 have lifted hopes that India's moments at the top of the podium on world stage may not remain rare now.
INDIA'S MEDALS TALLY AT YOUTH OLYMPICS 2018
From eight medals in the inaugural YOG eight years ago to 13 (3 gold, 9 silver, 1 bronze) this year, including a maiden gold-medal haul, India have broken new ground at the world level.
The three medals (1 gold, 2 silver) in the mixed events were not counted in the final medals tally since athletes from different nations combined to form mixed teams.
At the 2014 YOG, there was a major dip, with just two medals pocketed by India; but the recent sports movement in the country has led to a surge India hadn't experienced before in Youth Olympics.
SUPPLY CHAIN GETTING STRONGER
If the 69 medals at the Asiad in Indonesia was a promising signal from the seniors, the youth has ensured that the bench strength and supply chain is getting stronger and consistent.
The best example of that would be 2014 YOG silver medallist weightlifter Venkat Rahul Ragala. A junior four years ago, Ragala finished second in the boys' 77kg category. Living up to his promise, he clinched gold (85kg) at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Gold Coast, Australia, earlier this year.
"It helped me a lot. As a youngster, your body speed is good. But thoda dar rehta hai (there is little anxiety). As a teenager, you need to make a lot of sacrifice, have to leave enjoyment, you get little family time," Ragala, who is recuperating from a knee injury, shared his experience while speaking to TimesofIndia.com.
Talking about sacrifice, before Ragala won the 2014 YOG silver, his mother was down with a stomach ailment and advised to get operated. But she was adamant: " Mera bada beta (Rahul) aayega to operation karvaungi (I will get operated only when my elder son comes back)."
One year passed. Ragala was in training and couldn't visit the family. His mother's condition worsened. She had to go through an emergency operation and required B negative blood. Only Ragala was of the same blood group in the family, but he couldn't get back as early as he would have liked. Luckily, blood was arranged and his mother survived.
Putting all such hardships behind them and sacrifice the way very few can, these champions train to spend those two minutes on top of the podium and hear the national anthem as the tricolour goes up.
THE TRANSITION
But making a transition from junior to senior is where the mettle gets tested the most as competition at world level intensifies.
"Experience at junior level helps, but you need to be more calm. Meditation helps, you need to train more. In weightlifting, you have to increase your weight in senior category," Ragala added.
Interestingly this year, besides breaking barriers, some of the junior players are giving the seniors a run for their money.
Shooters like Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary and Mehuli Ghosh have done well both at the junior and senior levels.
Before her YOG gold, the 16-year-old Bhaker claimed double gold at the World Cup earlier in the year, followed by a CWG gold. She had a stutter at the Asiad, returning empty handed, but made up for it at the Youth Olympics.
Chaudhary, also 16, burst onto the scene striking gold at the Asian Games, and followed it up with junior World Cup and YOG gold.
Both Bhaker and Chaudhary won their medals in 10m air pistol event.
THE PROMISING NEW CROP
Weightlifter Jeremy Lalrinnunga (62kg) was the first to create history in Buenos Aires, winning India's maiden YOG gold. Badminton sensation Lakshya Sen, who is also the reigning Asian junior champion, fell at the last hurdle in boys' singles -- settling for a silver.
Remarkably, India's all four shooters at YOG returned with a medal, with Ghosh (girls' 10m air rifle) and Tushar Mane (boys' 10m Air Rifle) adding silver medals to the gold won by Bhaker and Chaudhary.
Simran (43kg freestyle wrestling), Suraj Panwar (boys' 5km walk) and Akash Malik (boys' individual archery) also finished with silver medals. The lone bronze medal was won by triple-jumper Praveen Chitravel.
The Indian contingent consisted of 46 athletes participating across 13 sports. And the heartening aspect of the campaign is that India won medals in eight of those sports. In 2010, eight medals came in five sports; and the two in 2014 were won in boxing and weightlifting.
Among the sports winning their maiden YOG medals were hockey, in which India made their debut appearance; shooting; and judo.
Played in the Hockey 5s format in this edition, India, who have the rich legacy of eight Olympic hockey gold, finished on the podium -- with both men and women winning silver.
Tababi Devi led the judo movement with her silver medal in girls' 44kg.
To summarise the achievement of these champions, there are a lot of distractions at a young age, especially in the present era of internet and social media; but the results at YOG 2018 have lifted hopes that India's moments at the top of the podium on world stage may not remain rare now.
INDIA'S MEDALS TALLY AT YOUTH OLYMPICS 2018
| MEDAL | PLAYER | EVENT |
| Gold | Jeremy Lalrinnunga | Weightlifting - Boys' 62 kg |
| Gold | Manu Bhaker | Shooting - Girls' 10 metre air pistol |
| Gold | Saurabh Chaudhary | Shooting - Boys' 10 metre air pistol |
| Silver | Tushar Mane | Shooting - Boys' 10 metre air rifle |
| Silver | Tababi Devi | Judo - Girls' 44 kg |
| Silver | Mehuli Ghosh | Shooting - Girls' 10 metre air rifle |
| Silver | Lakshya Sen | Badminton - Boys' singles |
| Silver | Simran | Wrestling - Girl's freestyle 43 kg |
| Silver | Field hockey - Men's | |
| Silver | Field hockey - Women's | |
| Silver | Suraj Panwar | Athletics - Boys' 5 km walk |
| Silver | Akash Malik | Archery - Boys' individual |
| Bronze | Praveen Chitravel | Athletics - Boys' triple jump |
Source : timesofindia[dot]indiatimes[dot]com
No comments:
Post a Comment