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It is that time of the year when all major Indian athletes are preparing their necks to wear the highly coveted Commonwealth Games medal. Two months from now, we will see a parade of Indian athletes gracing Gold Coast’s Carrara Stadium for the opening ceremony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
One of the two important multi-sport events in this calendar year, the 2018 Commonwealth Games will witness the Indian athletes in full swing as they aim to better the position they achieved at Glasgow four years ago.
With the Games being held in Australia, there will no doubt be a number of mesmerizing performances from the home athletes. They will, though, face stiff competition from the largest European island, Great Britain. Since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the athletes from this part of the world have not only claimed top-four finishes in major competitions but also have had a significant rise in the number of medal winners.
In the month of April, all eyes would be on the biggest cricket extravaganza - the IPL, but at the same time, any breakthrough performances at these Games by the Indian athletes wouldn’t go unnoticed. With the appointment of Rajyavardhan Rathore as the Sports Minister of the country, he straight away allotted allowance funds to 107 Indian athletes with an aim to have some sizzling performances at this year’s Commonwealth and Asian Games.
The Indian contingent would be raring to flex their muscles and improve the medal tally which was only 64 in the previous Games, where they finished fifth below host country Scotland. With shooting to be eliminated from the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the sport will be in the spotlight this year and our shooters would be eager to show their mettle and strength among the Commonwealth nations.
Among 23 sports to be contested at these Games, Indian viewers need to keep an eye on six sports where our athletes not only have the potential to compete against international representatives but also have the ability to snatch the all-important gold medal from their hands. After all, we Indians only take notice of an athlete if he or she claims the yellow metal.
Come 5th April 2018 and sports like athletics, shooting, badminton, wrestling, hockey, boxing, etc. will grab the attention of Indian audiences when our superstars take centre stage and give it all to make a mark at this prestigious event.
The world’s most successful professional cricket league, IPL, is set to take over the screen from 5 April 2018. On the same day, the Indian contingent begins their journey at the Commonwealth Games with a mission to make the country proud and show their prowess to the world.
Even in this cricket frenzied nation, I am sure that there will be a lot of attention on this year’s Games. With the support and the efforts of the sports ministry and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the news from this spectacle will always be there in the headlines at least until the closing ceremony on 15 April.
