As the first rays of sun are seen in the New Year, looking back at achievements from the sporting arena at the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics give fans huge highs. Six medals at the Olympics and 29 medals at the Paralympics brings back wonderful memories. Yet, if one also factors the misses, exactly half a dozen fourth places finishes at the Paris 2024 Olympics, it is a clear sign the medal tally could have been higher.
First, a recall of something truly historic – Manu Bhaker winning two bronze medals in the air pistol event, individual, as well as mixed team with Sarabjot Singh. To have peaked twice, within a few days in Chateauroux, almost 300km from Paris, is something worth replaying again and again. Nothing like this ever happened before. And big credit for it should go to coach/mentor and father figure Jaspal Rana. “Who would have thought Manu was going to win two medals in the air event? Everyone knew she was going to do well in the sports pistol,” Rana told RevSportz on Wednesday.
Manu has still not returned to competitive shooting and is expected to go full tilt in 2025. The big picture, which she has spoken of many times to RevSportz is wanting to win medals in LA 2028. But before that, she has to come back and peak at the Asian Games 2026, in Nagoya, Japan. Strangely, even as Manu and coach Rana have been given multiple awards by private institutions, the delay in announcing her name for the Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is bizarre. A year has gone by and the Sports Ministry is sleeping over it. It tells you, what all problems are there in the sports system today, though the Sports Ministry deserves credit for funding the athletes massively in 2024. How it will play out in 2025 and in the lead up to the 2026 Asian Games is a bit unclear. Every bit of conversation on hosting the 2036 Olympics has become an obsession.
In the mixed air pistol event, Sarabjot Singh partnered Manu for his maiden Olympic medal. He has resumed training as well and says he will go for gold in LA 2028. The third medal in shooting, an important one in rifle, came from Swapnil Kushale, mentored by Deepali Deshpande. Swapnil had cried after winning a bronze medal, it was one of joy. He has hit the reset button and also wants to go for gold in the next Olympics in 2028. Sadly, like Manu, Deepali is also confused if she will get the Dronacharya Award, given for excellence in coaching. Deepali has got affidavits from almost all the rifle shooters who are important, which includes Swapnil, Anjum Moudgil and Arjun Babuta and Sift Kaur Samra. The fourth-place finishes in the Paris 2024 Olympics hurts, so to recall that may be painful. Looking ahead, Arjun, Sift, Esha Singh and a whole new lot will attempt to do well in the fresh Olympic cycle, which has kicked in.
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Indian athletics is indebted to Neeraj Chopra that he could win a silver medal in Paris 2024, despite the groin niggle. After the highs of a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics, Neeraj had to be conservative in his efforts in Paris. His much-touted rivalry with Arshad Nadeem may have been low key, but, still, for Neeraj to win a silver medal is no feat. Looking ahead, Neeraj has begun training with Jan Zelezny in the quest for perfecting his technique and even soar well above over 90 metres mark. Sadly, the other performances from track and field in Paris 2024 were not up to the mark. For its part, the Athletics Federation of India has started making a course correction. This is a sport which needs full government support. For it to happen, the camps and funding must begin soon. Corporate funding on track and field is almost zero.
Sadly, when one recalls wrestling, a sport which has brought India medals since 2008 Beijing, politics has been a curse. The lone medal from Aman Sehrawat was just not enough. Had the stakeholders handled the crisis better, the Wrestling Federation of India, Sports Ministry and the Sports Authority of India, it could have been a different story. Any mention of wrestling and Vinesh Phogat being ‘robbed’ of a medal will always be recalled. She failed to make the weight cut by 100gm before the final. Despite attempting everything possible. Vinesh had to leave Paris with a heavy heart. Will Vinesh return to wrestling again is something which she alone can answer. If she wishes to, then the goal has to be the Asian Games.
Boxing, badminton and a few more sports were heart-breaking. Mirabai Chanu finished fourth. Projected as a sure-shot medal, Mirabai had medical issues. She cited ‘period’ as one reason but what is more worrying for all those who still believe in her, is she good enough for a comeback. Under the advice of Aaron Horschig, a strength and conditioning expert based in the USA, she is now working on strengthening her ‘glute’ section. She will have to prove her fitness for sure if she is to compete again. To have also missed the World Championship in 2024 was not good.
In badminton, two medal hopes did not meet expectations. Yet, anyone who says PV Sindhu’s career is over will be making a mistake. She got married towards the end of the year and wants to resume competitions from January 2025.
When she won the Syed Modi badminton title in Lucknow, it was proof that she can still produce great strokes. She also has a new team to back her. Lakshya Sen’s inability to win a medal cannot be scoffed at. He had a bad year and when he made the cut finally for Paris 2024, the hype was massive. It was his maiden Olympics, so if not winning a medal is termed a ‘failure,’ that is being unkind to the young boy. Sat-Chi also looked good for a medal and did not deliver.
If one recalls and replays the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Indian athletes tried very hard. To term it as a failure would be a negative mindset. Nobody went to the Paris Olympics for a picnic. Each one slogged to qualify and will again look to peak. If that is a New Year resolution, athletes do it every year.
The romance of hockey continues. How Harmanpreet Singh led the side to a historic bronze medal again and PR Sreejesh produced efforts which were one of perfection defined India’s bronze medal campaign in Paris 2024. From no medal in Moscow 1980 to two bronze medals in Tokyo and Paris 2024 is a big turnaround. Fitness, speed, skill and playing modern hockey, coach Craig Fulton can take credit for it.
Archery too had its share of moments. How the script went wrong at the Olympics should not be recalled. After all, Deepika Kumari is again training and won a National Championship. It shows her willingness to keep trying. That is the case for so many Indian athletes.
Also Read: Manu Bhaker, queen of Indian sports in 2024