Ten Indian athletes to watch out for at Tokyo 2020
The Indian contingent at the 2020 Olympics will see a blend of youth and experience all with hopes of bagging a medal at the Games.
Tokyo 2020 promises to be further proof of India's growing power on the Olympic sporting stage.
With more athlete's from India expected to qualify for the Games than ever before, here is a look at some of those who could make their presence felt at the 2020 Olympics:
Vinesh Phogat
Vinesh Phogat had ended her 2016 Olympics campaign in Rio with an injury in the quarterfinals. However, every step of Vinesh Phogat since then has been towards gripping the elusive Olympic medal come Tokyo 2020.
Vinesh Phogat won gold medals in both the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games in 2018 in the 50kg category before she decided to shift to the 53kg category a few months later. And while many expected her to take time in adjusting to the new change, the Haryana wrestler’s form has hardly been interrupted.
She started 2019 with a bronze medal at the Asian Wrestling Championships and followed it up with gold medals at the Yasar Dogu International and Poland Open. She ended the year by becoming the first Indian wrestler to qualify for the 2020 Olympics after her bronze medal win at the 2019 World Wrestling Championships.
The 25-year-old has further cemented her status as one of India’s biggest Olympic medal hopes by starting 2020 with yet another gold medal at the recently concluded Rome Ranking Series.
Bajrang Punia
Bajrang Punia had first met India’s 2012 Olympics bronze medallist and his idol Yogeshwar Dutt when he was only 14-year-old. And the wrestling ace didn’t flinch before deciding to give the 2016 Olympics a skip and not compete in the 65kg as it was Yogeshwar Dutt’s last.
Though Dutt was eliminated early in Rio, the veteran decided to repay Punia's generous gesture by offering to mentor him in his bid for an Olympic medal. The duo hasn’t looked back since, with Bajrang Punia’s gold rush starting at the 2017 Asian Wrestling Championship.
Bajrang Punia has since gone on to win gold medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. He then booked his 2020 Olympic quota by clinching a silver medal at the World Wrestling Championships last year and has kept his imperious form alive with a gold medal at the recently-concluded Rome Ranking Series.
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