Guwahati: India’s 18th appearance at the Commonwealth Games kicks off a thrilling start that lasts until the fourth day and brings their total of medals won—just from weightlifting—to six (3 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze).
India finished third in 2018 with 66 medals, 26 of which were gold. It was regarded as India’s best performance since 2010, but following the young athletes’ encouraging showing at the most recent Olympics, the Indian sports authority and the entire nation are clamouring for some sort of heroic performance on the field.
While 19-year-old Jeremy Lalrinnunga, the Youth Olympic Champion, brought India’s second gold medal despite suffering from a severe muscular cramp, on day three, Achinta Sheuli, a newcomer, exceeded all expectations to win India’s third gold medal in weightlifting. Mirabai Chanu won gold for India and climbed the podium to help India reach the medal podium.
On the other side, Smriti Mandhana’s incredible 63 runs off 42 balls helped India’s women’s cricket team upset Pakistan (not out).
The two boxers that started their blows strongly to advance to the quarterfinal are still Lovlina Borgohain and Nikhat Zareen, both of whom have won Olympic medals. Hima Das, a different Olympian, has yet to step foot on the track.
India is still in sixth place with six medals to its credit with 72 nations represented and thousands of athletes. While Shiva Thapa and Popi Hazarika withdrew from the tournament after failing to provide their best effort in the face of mounting pressure and the passage of the days with only one week until the closing ceremony, there is still hope for the more seasoned athletes.
However, one enraged tweet from Lovlina Borgohain against the Indian Boxing Federation shocked the entire country and raised concerns about the ongoing politics of the Indian Sports Authority against the athletes. When chasing medals in the future, the authority needs to focus more on the athletes.