Indian sportspersons to watch out for at Olympics 2016

The send-offs for Indian teams competing in the Rio Olympics have begun in right earnest.

From the Indian Olympic Association's chaotic function in the capital last week to Hockey India's farewell luncheon in Bangalore on Saturday, there is a buzz in the air.

President N Ramachandran talked of how the IOA now has a high net asset value, not that they are using it to promote sport in the country.

Despite crores of rupees in IOA coffers, Indian sport still largely depends on the government support and backing from a few bodies like Olympic Gold Quest - run by a professional bunch of people.

Also read - Indian athletes who'll make the nation proud this Olympics

To say that the size of the Indian contingent to Rio - 121 athletes -is jumbo size is not an exaggeration, as the number for the 2012 London Olympics was 84.

You can argue that the women's hockey team itself counts for 16 players but the rest of the numbers are quite revealing.

At a rough glance, almost 50 Indian athletes will be going to the Olympics for the first time.

It reflects depth in the talent pool, even though to expect them to win a medal straightaway would be grossly unfair.

Everyone knows the trend of India starting to win medals at the Olympics started in 1996 at Atlanta when magic man Leander Paes won bronze.

After that, the baton was taken up at the Sydney Olympics by bronze medallist Karnam Malleswari.

RVS Rathore did one better and won that huge double trap silver medal for India in Athens 2004.

As a nation starved of Olympic success as the medals-to-population ratio is still very poor, we can keep cribbing about medal count not being high enough.

We are not a nation which produces world-beaters in an assembly-like fashion which China or the United States of America does.

Yet, with Abhinav Bindra showing in Beijing 2008 that an Indian could win a gold medal, there has been a change for the Indian athlete. Bindra did not win a medal in his first shot.

He had been to the Sydney and Athens Games as well.

The experience gathered in two Olympics, coupled with his burning desire and passion to win something big, and saw him explode in brilliance in Beijing.

The champion is again in that zone where he wants to do very well in his farewell Olympics in Rio which marks him as a definite medal contender.

Talking of new faces bound for Rio, there are new disciplines which have thrown up rich talent.

It would be churlish to immediately tout them as medal prospects but the fact is there is growth in Indian sport, largely due to a certain belief in the heart of the Indian athlete.

Earlier, just going to an Olympics was a big kick as they got the "Olympian" tag after that to live with. Today, from Dipa Karmakar to Deepika Kumari and Anirban Lahiri to PV Sindhu and Jitu Rai to Mairaj Khan, there is a list of sportspersons who can deliver.

Also read - Our men's hockey team will make India proud this Olympics

It would be unfair to say they are outright medal prospects but in world-class fields, they have the talent, temperament and the technique to fire on the big day.

We are not a country which invests handsomely in relatively unknown sport. When you hear of rower Dattu Bhokanal making the Olympic cut and judoka Avtar Singh finding an entry into the Rio draw, there is reason to feel happy.

The women's hockey team has done well to qualify for an Olympics after a long gap and even if they win a few matches, it is a positive.

The talking point in India's Olympic campaign has been the rise of track and field stars.

It's not just athletes like Vikas Gowda, Tintu Luka and Seema Antil nee Poonia who will be in Rio.

There is a fresh crop in track and field which has made the grade, though sprinter Dutee Chand has grabbed headlines with her brilliant bursts in the 100m dash.

For sheer numbers, athletics provides a king-size image with 36 on board.

The mix is walkers, relay squads, middle-distance runners and competitors in the throws and jumps.

What has led to this explosion of talent may be hard to understand, but it shows the Indian athlete today is working hard.

When one talks of medal prospects, there is a temptation to recall old names like Bindra and Saina Nehwal.

People have forgotten Sushil Kumar and in freestyle from Narsingh Yadav to Yogeshwar Dutt, we can hope for stellar performances.

Agreed, Olympic pressure is huge and winning a medal in the maiden attempt is not easy.

Yet, the big squad bound for Rio can throw up surprises as players like PV Sindhu and K Srikanth in badminton and Mirabhai Chanu in weightlifting are in good form.

They have already achieved quite a bit in their respective fields.

(Courtesy of Mail Today.)