CWG 2022: India's best medal bets at the Birmingham Games
The 2022 Commonwealth Games will be held in Birmingham, England. India won 66 medals at the 2018 edition of the Commonwealth games. Five members of India's squad pulled out at last minute. Neeraj Chopra's withdrawal due to groin injury is a blow for Indian fans.
Annu Rani is one of the best prospects to win a medal for India at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. Dutee Chand is the current national champion in the women's 100 metres event. Hima Das won two gold medals and one silver at 2018 Asian Games. Murali Sreeshankar is a long jumper who failed to finish on the podium at Oregon World Championships, but he qualified for the final with a personal best of 8.36m. He had to pull out of 2018 Commonwealth Games 10 days before the event due to appendicitis.
In 2018 edition, the Indian badminton squad returned with a haul of six medals - two gold, three silver and one bronze. India won the Mixed Team badmittn event. Saina Nehwal won gold in the women's singles. Kidambi Srikanth won silver in men's and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in doubles. Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy took home the bronze in women’s doubles event at the Birmingham Games.
The 12-strong Indian boxing contingent is one of the best medal bets for the country at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. The last edition's Indian team brought home nine medals - three gold, three silver and three bronze. This edition, the contingent will be led by Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Bargohain (70kg) and reigning world champion Nikhat Zareen (50kg). Mary Kom missed the flight to Birmingham after she was forced to withdraw midway from the selection trials due to a knee injury.
India's hockey team is preparing for the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham. They won silver in 2010 and 2014 editions and finished outside the podium places at the 2018 Gold Coast Games. The Men in Blue finished third in the FIH Pro League and are primed to win the all-elusive Commonwealth Gold. Women's team finished ninth at recently-concluded World Cup.
Manika Batra won gold in table tennis at the Gold Coast Games. She will be joined by Sreeja Akula, Reeth Rishya, and Diya Chitale in the women's category. Sharath Kamal will play in his fifth and last Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
India has a 15-member weightlifting contingent for the Birmingham 2022 Games. Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu is the prime contender to win gold at the Games, as per change in weight categories by the International Weightlifting Federation. India have been the best performers in the weightlifters in 1990, 2002 and 2018 editions. At the Gold Coast Games in 2018, India won 5 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals.
India won 12 medals in wrestling at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Ravi Dahiya, Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Divya Kakran are expected to win medals at 2022 Games in Birmingham.
