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The lesser-known sports where India can spring surprise at Olympics

The cricket-crazy nation of India has been able to leave its mark in sports like badminton, wrestling, boxing and shooting in the last few editions of the Olympics.

The lesser-known sports where India can spring surprise at Olympics
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By

Sarah Waris

Updated: 21 July 2021 12:56 PM GMT

The cricket-crazy nation of India has been able to leave its mark in sports like badminton, wrestling, boxing and shooting in the last few editions of the Olympics. While the aforementioned sports are expected to fetch the country a few medals in this year's Tokyo Summer Games as well, athletes from a few lesser known sports will be hoping to leave a mark too.

Equestrian

Fouaad Mirza became India's first Olympian in the sport in over 20 years after he earned a quota spot for the individual eventing event. To qualify for the multi-national event, riders had to compete in 4-star level tournaments based on which the rider-horse duo would collect points. To earn points, the riders had to finish in the top 25 percent of the number of participants turning out in the tournament. The higher an athlete was ranked in a competition, the more points he earned.

 Equestrian (Image: equestrianindex)
Equestrian (Image: equestrianindex)

Mirza created waves in the 2018 Asian Games where he returned with two silver medals - in the individual eventing and team eventing - to become the first Indian to win an Asian Games medal since 1982. Though equestrian is not a go-to sport in India, Mirza can spring a surprise at the Olympics, if his recent form is anything to go by.

Fencing

No Indian has qualified for the Olympics from fencing, however, C.A Bhavani Devi is close to sealing a historical spot in the event. She had a stellar 2019, including finishing a commendable 38th at the Fencing Sabre World Cup in Utah where she won all games in the group stages before going down in the Round of 64.

Fencing (Image: RT_Editing)
Fencing (Image: RT_Editing)


Devi returned with a bronze medal in the women's Sabre category at the Tournoi Satellite tournament in Iceland and clinched a silver in Belgium. Devi finished 40th at the French World Cup to inch closer to Tokyo.

Judo

India's judoka Jasleen Singh Saini is in the fray to earn a continental quota spot for the Olympics in the men's 66 kg weight category. Currently ranked 59 in the world, Saini currently has 986 points and with Asia allowed to send 10 men judokas to the Games, a continental quota is up for grabs for the Indian.

Jasleen Singh Saini (Image: https://www.ijf.org/)
Jasleen Singh Saini in action at Tbilisi Grand Prix 2019. Image: https://www.ijf.org/)


Saini recently participated in the Paris Grand Slam, where he returned with 110 points and had a good run last year as well, winning gold in the Commonwealth Games along with two gold medals in the South Asian Games.

Sailing

With two quota slots available in the Laser Radial Class event for the Olympics, Nethra Kumanan is a dark horse. She became the first Indian woman sailor to win a World Cup medal, when she clinched bronze at the recent Hempel World Series in Miami, USA. Having represented India at the 2014 and the 2018 Asian Games, Kumanan will need to finish in the top-two of the Asian Sailing Championships that will be held in Abu Dhabi from March 15, 2020. If the Chennai-based sailor does manage to qualify for the Olympics she will go down in history books, even if a medal eludes her.

Nethra Kumanan (Image: Nethra Kumanan / Facebook)
Nethra Kumanan (Image: Nethra Kumanan / Facebook)


Canoeing

With canoeing opening up for women for the first time in the Olympics, India's Namita Chandela is looking ahead to a good showing in the upcoming Asian Championships in March in Thailand, a tournament which will be a do-or-die for her as far as qualifying for Tokyo is concerned.

Canoeing (Image: ApadanaFreedom)
Canoeing (Image: ApadanaFreedom)


The athlete had won four gold medals, two each in the 500 metre and 1000 metre category in the National Canoe Championship last year, and needs a top-three finish in Thailand to have hopes of making the Olympics. The youngster has been preparing in Hungary for the last four months, where she worked on her fitness, speed and endurance along with strength to help her in what will be a tough Asian Championships.

Golf

Sixty golfers can qualify for Tokyo for each of the men's and women's competitions. The International Golf Federation (IGF) will utilize the world rankings of the players to generate the Olympic Golf Rankings, which will determine eligibility for the Games. India, thus, might field as many as three golfers for the event, with Aditi Ashok (who came fourth in Rio) currently at 37 and Diksha Dagar ranked 57th. In the men's event, Rashid Khan is in the top 60, and though Shubhankar Sharma and Gaganjeet Bhullar have fallen out of the Olympic rankings, they will be hoping to make the cut as well.

Aditi Ashok (Image: ddsportschannel)
Aditi Ashok (Image: ddsportschannel)


Rowing

With the ban on Dattu Baban Bhokanal recently being lifted by the Rowing Federation of India, the Rio Olympian will be eyeing an encore as he looks to qualify for Tokyo with a good showing in the upcoming qualifiers in Korea from 27 April 2020.

Rowing (Image: SMCMRowing)
Rowing (Image: SMCMRowing)


The only rower from India to qualify for the grand stage, Bhokanal won a gold medal in the Men's Quadruple Sculls event at the 2018 Asian Games, following which he was banned for indiscipline. However, while he can seal a spot for Tokyo, he will need to work on his endurance levels to ensure he is on top of his game after his long ban to impress in the Olympics.

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