Top 10 Indian debutants at the Asian Games 2014

The Asian Games are just a few days away and there are many Indians who will be representing the nation for the first time at these games. However, these athletes have proved their mettle on international stage before and there is plenty to hope for when the games get underway in Incheon, South Korea from September 19. No doubt it will be an arduous task, but these youngsters can overcome all odds and stand on the podium come finals day.

#10 Shushila Likmabam

Shushila Likmabam showed plenty of promise in the Judo event at the recently concluded Glasgow Commonwealth as she clinched silver. The 19-year old Assamese girl will look to go one better at the Asian Games.

#9 Sathish Sivalingam

Sathish Sivalingam did not show any nerves in the 77 Kg weightlifting event at the Glasgow games as he won a gold medal for India. Sivalingam won the gold medal in the 77 kg category, with 149 kg snatch, and 179 kg clean and jerk lifts, totalling 328 kg. His lift of 149 kg in the snatch, set a new games record.

#8 Malaika Goel

At just 16 years of age, she is one of the youngest athletes going to the Asian Games. She proved her mettle in Glasgow when she claimed the silver in the 10m Air Pistol event after scoring 197.1 points.

#7 Vinesh Phogat

Vinesh belongs to a family of wrestlers with her cousin Geeta Phogat representing India with great elan. Vinesh won the gold medal in the freestyle 48 Kg category in Glasgow. The 20- year old showed in the final that she is no pushover for her opponents.

#6 Babita Kumari

Babita is not new to competing at multi-sport events. The Haryana girl competes in 51 Kg freestyle wrestling category. She won silver at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, followed that up with a bronze at the 2012 World Championships. Her recent success was capturing gold at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

#5 Sanjita Khumukcham

Sanjita was India’s first medallist at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games as she won with a total lift of 173 kg (77+96). Her 77 kg effort in snatch equalled Nwaokolo's Commonwealth Games record.

#4 Apurvi Chandela

Ayonika Paul (left) won silver while Apurvi Chandela took home gold in Glasgow.

Apurvi’s first medal in the senior circuit was at the National Shooting Championships in New Delhi where she clinched gold. She won four medals(two individual and two team medals) at the Intershoot Championships at the Hague earlier this year.

At the 2014 Glasgow Games, she lived up to the expectations as she claimed gold in the 10m air rifle event after scoring 206.7 points, a games record.

#3 Amit Kumar

Amit Kumar is the youngest Indian wrestler to compete in the Olympics when he participated at the 2012 London Olympics in the 55 Kg wrestling event. Amit won the silver at the 2013 World Wrestling Championships in Budapest and won gold at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games.

#2 P V Sindhu

P V Sindhu is making the right noises for Indian fans to be hopeful about the future of badminton with Saina Nehwal very much performing at her best. The 19-year old already has two bronze medals from the World Championships, including the recent one in Copenhagen where she lost to eventual winner Carolina Marin in the semifinal. She also won bronze at the Glasgow games in the absence of Saina. India will hope for at least two medals from badminton in Incheon.

#1 Jitu Rai

Jitu Rai has had a tremendous year as he scored 199.4 points on his way to a silver in the 10m air pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Munich. Maribor turned out to be a hunting ground for the Indian as he won a silver in the 50m pistol event and a gold in the 10m air pistol event. He thus became the first Indian to win two medals at a single World Cup.

These wins meant he was ranked No. 1 in the world in July 2014 in 10m air pistol and No. 4 in the 50m pistol event. He won gold at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games after setting a games record with a score of 194.1 points in the final.

Edited by Staff Editor