Dubai: Any team that departs for an international competition does so with the promise of delivering medals. Naturally so, as the athletes have spent a considerable amount of time in getting ready to perform on the biggest stage.
And India have made their intentions clear by announcing a 214-strong squad — their second largest ever — for the 2014 Commonwealth Games which take place in Glasgow, Scotland, from Wednesday. The sports ministry has cleared competitors in 14 sporting disciplines, with athletics having the biggest single team of 41, while there will also be seven para-athletes and 90 officials, coaches and support staff.
When India hosted the most recent edition in New Delhi in 2010, the national squad recorded their most successful participation with 38 gold, 27 silver and 36 bronze medals, placing second in the overall standings.
This Indian contingent looks capable of improving on the medal tally of the 2010 Games, with officials targeting at least third place in the standings and with a far higher medal tally than last time.
One of the factors that could help their chances is the appointment of foreign coaches for various sports, although the exclusion of events such as archery and tennis could prove to be a hindrance. But the shooting, hockey, badminton, boxing and wrestling stars could well match or even better their feats of 2010.
The hockey team is confident of returning with a medal, while the badminton squad now boasts a world-beating group of players led by the rise of P.V. Sindhu, even in the absence of golden girl Saina Nehwal. The shooting contingent also remains a strong contender, while the boxers and wrestlers have consistently delivered in the past.
The tally of 125 medals predicted by the sports ministry sounds a little ambitious, even with India’s improvement in badminton, boxing and squash.
But the fact remains that India will be hoping to make a significant mark on this edition of the Commonwealth Games, irrespective of whether it matches, exceeds or falls shorts of its 2010 performance.
The Glasgow event will serve as a testing ground for future challenges including the Asian Games in September and the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, which makes it a crucial few weeks for many of India’s most celebrated athletes.
