Game for Glory

Vijender Singh
Won the Bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics

When Vijender took up boxing, he was not aiming for Olympic glory. All he was eyeing was a havildar's job. It is another matter that an Olympic medal came his way and he eventually landed the job of a DSP.

Though Vijender is not quite in his prime, experts are not ruling out his chances. He qualified for the Olympic Games by reaching the semi-finals of the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Astana, Kazakhstan, on April 7, 2012, after he defeated Chuluuntumur Tumurkhuyag of Mongolia 27-17.

Sceptics were doubtful of his chances of qualifying for the Olympics as the boxer had failed in his first attempt to book a ticket for London in last year’s World Championships. However, before the Beijing Olympics, Vijender had won Gold at the Asian Qualifiers which were incidentally held at Kazakhstan.

In the London Olympics, Vijender's first bout will be on July 28. He is in the 75 kg middleweight category. Vijender's form has declined of late. He was knocked out in the semi-final of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The man to beat in the middleweight category would be Darren O'Neill of Ireland. Others in the fray are Japan's world number two Ryota Murata and Ukraine’s Ievgen Khytrov, who currently holds the title of the world amateur champion.

Ronjan Sodhi
Current world champion in double trap

All Indian eyes will be on Ranjan Sodhi as he is the nation's best bet in the Indian shooting contingent. He has been a highly consistent performer. After winning Gold at the Asian and Commonwealth Games, he successfully defended his World Championship crown last year in Dubai. This is one feat that no other Indian shooter has been able to replicate.

He made the Olympic cut at the 2011 ISSF World Cup held in Beijing, China.

In the last 25 tournaments, his average score has remained around 142 and of late he is scoring around 145. He also became the world number one last year.

In London, Sodhi could be pushed by America's Walton Eller and Joshua Richmond, and China's Hu Binyuan. The Men’s Double Trap event is scheduled for August 2 at the Royal Artillery Barracks.

Saina Nehwal
Winner of the Indonesian Open, Thailand Open and China Open

Badminton ace Saina Nehwal is among India's brightest prospects in the London Games. She seems to have peaked at the right time. In the last two years, the mentally tough Hyderabad girl has defeated many top Chinese players in major tournaments.

The London Olympics will be Saina's big test. Her fitness and concentration have improved appreciably in the run-up to the Games. Her innate ability to absorb pressure has helped her  frequently come back from a set down to win a match.

At the Indonesian Open, Saina held her nerves after losing the first set 13-21 to world No 3 Li Xuerui of China and romped home, winning the next two sets 22-20 and 21-19. This was Saina's first win over Li in five encounters.

It is rumoured that it is with Saina in mind that China has drafted Li Xuerui ahead of the more experienced Wang Shixian. The Indian shuttler depends on long rallies and high shuttle movement. But her game often tends to be predictable. Li, on the other hand, has greater variety.

An even bigger threat for Saina would be Wang Yihan against whom she has never won an encounter. Yihan is currently ranked No 1 in the world.

Saina would have her job cut out when the badminton singles' competition gets underway in the London Games on July 28 at arena.

MC Mary Kom
Winner of multiple world and Asian titles

MC Mary Kom is the most formidable name in women's boxing. She has five world titles under her belt and there is hardly any sporting high that this incredible lady hasn't achieved. Gold is what she will be punching for in London.

This is the first time that women's boxing has been included in the Olympic Games and a Gold medal would be the perfect swan song for the mother of two.

She became the first Indian woman boxer to qualify for the Olympics, even after being beaten by world No 2 Nicola Adams in the World Championship in Qinhuangdao, China.

Asia had only two slots in the 51 kg category. Mary Kom filled the second berth after Asian Games Gold medalist Ren Cancan of China.

She will have to get past her old nemesis Nicola Adams of the UK. Mary Kom was a 49 kg category fighter. But since this division is not included in the Olympics, she had to choose the 51 kg category.

Naturally, Mary Kom does not know much about her rivals in the new weight category. She has been through rigorous training under coach Charles Atkinson, who has worked on her stamina and reflexes.

Deepika Kumari
World's No 1 archer; won Gold in the 2010 Commonwealth

The shy, reticent, unassuming Jharkhand girl is confidence personified. She may not possess the charisma of a Saina or a Sania, but those who know her are sure that Deepika Kumari really has a strong chance of striking gold in London. The Commonwealth Games Gold medalist is, after all, the world's top-ranked archer today.

How does she retain her composure under pressure? She replies: "The Olympic event is like any other sporting contest. I will be competing against archers I know. I have no reason to feel intimidated just because it is the Olympic Games." Beat that.

Deepika was crowned the world's No 1 archer after her victory over Korea's Lee Sung Jin by six set points to four in the final of the individual recurve event at the World Cup in Turkey.

In London, the formidable Koreans will come at her with renewed force. But that isn't the only worry that nags her. The notoriously fickle London weather will also play on Deepika's mind. It could play spoilsport on the big day. The champion archer and the entire nation will be praying that the weather gods play fair when history beckons.

Deepika can take heart from the knowledge that the Koreans, despite dominating the sport at the world and Olympic levels, have never bagged the individual title. 

Abhinav Bindra
Won Gold at the Beijing Olympics

Given his current form, Abhinav Bindra, 29, would be rather hard pressed to repeat his Beijing performance in London. He is currently ranked 31st in the world in the 10 mts air rifle event.

Bindra is in this list of medal hopefuls simply because he is the only Indian Olympian who knows what it feels to bag Gold in an individual event. In the run-up to the London Olympics, his form has been lacklustre. He finished 25th at the 2010 ISSF World Championship in Munich.

Bindra made it to the London Games by the skin of his teeth, winning a quota place as India’s 10 mts air rifle champion despite finishing a lowly eighth in the 2011 Shooting World Championship. The Gold went to China's Qinan Zhu (651) and Silver was clinched by his compatriot Tao Wang (649.5).

Bindra's London test will start on July 30. Hungary's Peter Sidi, Russia's Denis Sokolov and France's Pierre Edmond will be the ones that he will be keeping an eye on.

Devendro Singh
Proved his mettle at World Championship, Baku

Devendro Singh, 19, took many by surprise when he qualified for the London Olympics. The young pugilist came in literally from the cold and reached the quarter-finals of the world championship. He is in the 49 kg category. Remaining fit and injury-free is his prime mantra.

He says, "In the Olympics, you not only have to be at the peak of your form but your body must also be in great shape. So I will save my body from injury."

He will be facing contenders like China's Zou Shiming, who won the world crown thrice in a row, and South Korea's Jong Shin. The latter defeated Devendro in the world meet in 2011.

Considering the fact that Devendro is rather raw and lacks experience, it might be too much to expect a medal from the youngster. But if he manages to reach the quarterfinals, then anything is possible for this spunky boy who has nothing to lose.

Sushil Kumar
Former world champion; won Olympic Bronze in 2008

Sushil Kumar, whose podium finish in Beijing gave Indian wrestling a much-needed fillip, will be the Indian contingent's flag-bearer at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics. He will be vying for Gold in the 66 kg category. Sushil, who was nursing a shoulder injury, was a late qualifier for the London Games. At one point, a question mark hung over his chances of making it.

His form dipped sharply after he won Bronze in Beijing and he failed to qualify for London on his first two attempts. He also lost the world title in the bargain.

He managed to seal an Olympic berth after winning the 66 kg freestyle title at the World Qualifying Tournament in Taiyuan, China.

In London, he will be up against two formidable grapplers, Iran's Mehdi Sadegh Taghvi and Russia’s Mavlet Baitrov.

K Ravi Kumar
Won Gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games

Indian weightlifting has often been mired in doping-related controversies despite having frequently brought glory to the nation. Few are expecting any medals from the weightlifting arena. But Behrampur lad Katalu Ravi Kumar, who is competing in the 69 kg category, could spring a surprise if luck favours him when it matters. The weightlifter has recovered from a shoulder injury to mount a challenge in London.

The Commonwealth Games Gold medalist performed below his best in the Asian Weightlifting Championships in South Korea where he lifted 311 kg. At the Commonwealth Games, he had lifted 322 kg.

Ravi Kumar will face tough competition from Li Qingfeng of China, who won Gold in last year’s Asian Weightlifting Championship by lifting a total of 328 kg. For a podium finish, Ravi would have to lift above 335 kg. He has potential but  his chances are modest. The weightlifting competition starts on July 31.

Shiva Thapa
Youngest Indian boxer to qualify for London Olympics

Shiva Thapa is the youngest member of the Indian boxing squad. He defeated Japan's Satoshi Simizu 31-17 to enter the final of Asian qualifiers at Astana and booked himself a London berth.

He is a brilliant fighter and does not let an opponent win points easily. He was trailing by 6-7 in the opening round but turned the tables in the second round and took an almost invincible lead of 15-6. Shiva also won a Silver medal in the World Youth Championships and the Youth Olympic Games.

His talent can be gauged from the fact that in his first senior-level bout he defeated the reigning world champion in his category. Shiva is participating in the same category vacated by Akhil Kumar. Says coach GS Sandhu: "He is a cut above the rest. His maturity coupled with his talent makes him a brilliant future prospect." Shiva's first bout in London is on July 28.

Gagan Narang
Won Gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games

Gagan Narang failed to book a place in the final of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He, however, bounced back with a world record of 703.5 in the World Cup Finals in Bangkok, which included a perfect 600 in the qualifying rounds.

His medal-winning spree has continued since then. He won the Bronze in 10 m air rifle at the 2010 World Championships in Munich. He won four Gold medals and two Silver medals at the subsequent Asian Games. He is competing in the same event as Abhinav Bindra.

In every recent event, Narang has got the better of Bindra. The former was the first Indian shooter to book a London Olympic berth after his Bronze medal-winning performance in the World Shooting Championships in Munich in August 2010.

He was less active last year due to a knee problem that affected his performance.

In London, Narang is also participating in the 50-metres rifle 3 positions and 50-metres rifle prone events.