With two days to go at the Rio 2016 Olympics, India’s field of athletes has dwindled but there’s still medal hopes.
With two days to spare, India’s account at the Rio 2016 Olympics has improved from the depressing zero to a two after Sakshi Malik won bronze in the women’s freestyle wrestling and PV Sindhu in the women’s badminton singles event. Now on the final two days of the Summer Games, India have a limited field of athletes in action but there is a chance of getting another medal.
Aditi Ashok (Women’s Golf)
The 18-year-old golfer from Bangalore posted an impressive 3 under par in the first and the second round to come up in the eyes of everyone and raise hopes of a medal. Then at 6 under par and tied eighth, Ashok offered a glimmer of a medal in a new territory to Olympics and to India.
Thonakal Gopi, Kheta Ram, Nitender Singh Rawat (Men’s Marathon)
The women’s marathon didn’t produce the desired result for the Indians and now it is the turn of the men. OP Jaisha had finished 89th and Kavita Raut 120th but Kheta Ram is one of the more experienced long distance runners in Indian list. Adjoining him are Thonakal Gopi and Nitender Singh Rawat. Rawat clinched a place to the Rio Games at Mungyeong and is eager to break the national record of 2:12:00 that was established in 1978. And he’s come close with time of 2:15:48 at the Mumbai marathon.
Yogeshwar Dutt (Men’s Wrestling)
If India are to get another medal from Rio, Yogeshwar is the best bet for India. Competing in the 65kg men’s freestyle wrestling category, ‘Yogi’ has brought a bronze medal for the country at the London Olympics and will hope to improve on that showing when he takes the mat on the final day. The only medal missing from his cabinet is the World Championship. At 33, Dutt has been hit by injuries ever since the London Games with surgeries to both his knees and has kept him out of action for the most part of three years.
