A double-digit medal tally seemed over-ambitious in the beginning but near misses have triggered thoughts of 'what if' for India at the Paris Olympics 2024
The soul-crushing disqualification of Vinesh Phogat scuttled what could have been the greatest comeback at the biggest stage, a silver medal felt like an under-achievement, a surprise double from shooter Manu Bhaker provided both joy and hope and six fourth-place finishes caused a lingering pain -- India experienced a weal and woe show at the Paris Games. (Medal Tally | Schedule & Results | Full Coverage)
A double-digit medal tally seemed over-ambitious in the beginning but near misses have triggered thoughts of 'what if'.
What if shuttler Lakshya Sen had not suffered an inexplicable meltdown in the bronze play-off, what if archer Deepika Kumari had not fluffed that one shot against Korea in the quarterfinal and what if Mirabai Chanu had lifted just one more kilogram?
No one expected that Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will leave the Porte de Chapelle Arena without a medal in their necks. No one had also expected that unheralded Swapnil Kusale would end the wait for a skeet medal.
Six medals from a 117-strong contingent is not ideal but India had its moments of joy, hope, frustration, and heartache.
India could not match Tokyo tally of seven medals. Had six fourth-place finishes turned into medals, a double-digit tally was possible.
There were question marks over the men's hockey team's ability to deliver a second consecutive medal at Olympics.
The team could not better the colour of medal won in Tokyo but the way it beat Australia, fought against Belgium and soaked the pressure against Germany and Britain, it speaks volumes of how this bunch, led by Harmanpreet Singh, has toughened mentally.
They entered the competition like an underdog but played like champions, avowing that the national game's glory days are back. The stage was perfect for the much-loved warhorse PR Sreejesh to walk into sunset, having played a crucial role in the revival of the game that was struggling to regain its identity before the Tokyo bronze.
There is a possibility that legendary shuttler PV Sindhu may not be competing at 2028 Olympics.
Fate was kind enough for Sreejesh to have a befitting farewell, but wrestler Vinesh Phogat leaves the stage after receiving an unhealable scar on her soul.
One can suffer a meek defeat and a brave defeat after an intense fight but in her case, she lost despite winning. It was not a question of ability, or of skill, it was a technicality that robbed her of a medal.
If there is one Indian woman wrestler who deserved an Olympic medal it was Vinesh, who had already stamped her authority with a consistent title and medal winning run over the year.
Neither the tumultuous build-up, nor invincible Yui Susaki could spoil her comeback but her own 100g bodyweight would.
She announced retirement from the sport after the incident and is awaiting a decision on her appeal against the disqualification.
Led by young Manu Bhaker, the shooters' performance was the saving grace for India as three of the six medals came from shooting.
It will not be an exaggeration to say that the 22-year-old Bhaker salvaged India's pride with her unprecedented twin-medal show. She joined forces with Sarabjot Singh to win one more bronze in mixed team 10m air pistol event.
When even one medal guarantees stardom, Bhaker's double has placed her in a different league.
The weight of expectations is always huge for success-starved India but Bhaker and her coach Jaspal Rana managed to shut the noise and stay focussed.
While Bhaker was always considered a medal hopeful, not many gave a chance to Kusale to win India's first medal in skeet shooting.
Imagine India's tally, if shooters had flattered to deceive again.
Neeraj fuelled India's hopes for one more gold when he topped the qualification with his season-best effort of 89.45m. Neeraj was primed for title defence despite a niggling adductor issue.
However, Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem came up with a staggering 92.97m throw that literally killed the competition. Neeraj could not find a throw better than 89.34m.
Such were expectations from him that even a silver felt like a defeat.
None of the boxers could make the medal round but the defeat of Nishant Dev will rankle the most.
Nikhat Zareen, another contender, also left in tears.
Aman Sehrawat, though, ensured that contact sport would deliver a medal. The lone Indian male wrestler in the squad lived up to expectations. If he could replace Ravi Dahiya in the competitive 57kg category, it was for a reason and he proved.
Wrestling delivered a medal for the fifth consecutive time.
The most disappointing was Antim Panghal and Anshu Malik. Their fitness was always under doubt and their performances showed they were not prepared for the big challenge.
Paddlers Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula exceeded expectations by making the quarterfinals in the individual event for the first time.
Lakshya Sen may have missed out on a bronze in badminton and wrestler Reetika Hooda could not make the medal round but they showed they have in them the ability to excel at the big stage.