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After a highly successful Singapore 2010, and a not so great Nanjing 2014, Team India is ready to send their largest contingent ever to the 3rd edition of the Youth Olympics, to be held at Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 6th October onwards.
As of now, there are 35 and counting young athletes from India, who can bring glory to the nation in the 3rd edition. Not only shall they pry for the coveted podium, the resurgent Indian contingent shall also aim for the elusive gold medal, something India is yet to win at the Youth Olympics, despite having participated twice at Singapore 2010 and Nanjing 2014.
Following are some top contenders for a remarkable performance at Buenos Aires 2018, who can give India her own slice of glory
#5 Jyoti Gulia
Though her story resembles quite a lot like Aamir Khan's 'Dangal', this Haryanvi pugilist didn't have the support the famous Phogat sisters had from their father. Her family being dead against her passion of boxing, Jyoti literally had to run from pillar to post in order to realize her dream of pursuing boxing.
Her moment of redemption came rather beautifully, when she not only clinched a gold medal at the AIBA Youth Women's World Boxing Championships, held in Guwahati last year, but also secured a direct ticket for the Buenos Aires Youth Olympics.
Incidentally, she is the only Indian boxer as of now, who has managed to get a quota for the Youth Olympics. It would be interesting to see if Jyoti manages to do what Shiva Thapa narrowly missed at Singapore 2010 edition, i.e. win the elusive Youth Olympics gold medal.
#4 Vivek Sagar Prasad
This young midfielder, trained by the legendary hockey player Dhyan Chand's illustrious son, ex-world champion Ashok Kumar, is on the cusp of history as he leads India to their first ever edition of field hockey [Hockey 5s] at the Youth Olympics.
From the lows of finishing outside the medal bracket in his debut Commonwealth Games, to the highs of making it for the first time to the Youth Olympics, this cheeky midfielder from Hoshangabad district, Madhya Pradesh has seen it all.
While it would be too early to determine what future has in store for Vivek Prasad, a stint at the upcoming FIH Champions Trophy, as well as the Jakarta Asian Games will work wonders for this young colt. Who knows if a success in either of these inspires Vivek to achieve the unthinkable?
#3 Mehuli Ghosh
Trained by Joydeep Karmakar, who himself missed the coveted Olympic podium by a whisker, rifle shooter Mehuli Ghosh has been termed as one of the next big faces of Indian shooting.
Now that Abhinav Bindra has called it quits, Rajyavardhan Rathore is serving the Indian government and the likes of Gagan Narang and Vijay Kumar are unlikely to make a return, the likes of Mehuli Ghosh are touted to carry the momentum of Indian shooting forward.
Only 17 years old, this young colt missed a historic Commonwealth gold medal on debut after an intense shootout with Singaporean shooter Martina Veloso. She also secured a direct ticket to the Youth Olympics, with a gold medal from the Junior Asian Championships held recently in Japan. We hope that Mehuli turns out to be the very fighting force she exhibited herself as in the Commonwealth Games 2018.
#2 Jeremy Lalrinunnga
Often enough, India has wailed of quality weightlifters, especially in the boys category. Barring aside the sole exception of Ragala Venkata Rahul, who is also a Youth Olympics silver medalist, there have been practically negligible male weightlifters, who have not only kept themselves clean, but also have made India proud at the world stage.
But not Jeremy Lalrinnunga. Born in Mizoram, he was spotted by the Indian Army for his prowess, and in one of their special schools, he honed his talent to such a level that he just won an astonishing silver medal at the 2017 IWF Youth World Weightlifting Championships.
Only recently, at the Youth Olympics qualifiers for the Asian category, Jeremy stood an impressive 2nd overall, earning himself and the country the much-needed ticket for the Youth Olympics. If everything goes alright, Jeremy could follow into the footsteps of Ragala Rahul, and probably even achieve what Ragala couldn't do himself: the elusive Youth Olympics gold.
#1 Manu Bhaker
The poster girl of Indian sports by now, this wonder girl has shocked many critics and experts with her explosive debut at the ISSF World Cup as well as the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, where she smashed erstwhile records en route to winning the gold medal in both the events.
Touted as a top contender for a historic podium finish at both the Jakarta Asian Games and the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, Manu Bhaker had broken the erstwhile Commonwealth record en route to her historic gold medal on debut. Incidentally, she is also one of the youngest Indian girls to have ever won a gold medal at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, having won the gold medal at the bare age of 16 years.
Only time will tell what the ultimate result might be, but if Manu manages to shine at the Youth Olympics, India will have a moment of glory to cherish for their lives.
Which of these colts do you think will end with podium finishes? Tell us in the comments below!
