The future champs are here

Young athletes showcased their top skills by winning historical medals in the Commonwealth Games; assuring a bright future ahead, writes Milind Dhamdhere

- Milind Dhamdhere

Compared to the Olympics or the Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games do not have the same standard of competition. So many times, the performance in these events does not get due credit. But for Indian athletes, these games are regarded as a platform for future success. The competition is a crucial opportunity for future Olympic athletes to showcase their skills.

In the recent Commonwealth games, many young players showcased their top skills by winning historical medals and they proved that they can win medals at Olympic Games. Sanket Sargar, Jeremy Lalrinnunga, Achinta Sheuli, Nitu Ghanghas, Nikhat Zareen, Avinash Sable, Sreeja Akula and Eldhose Paul and many others have excelled at these games. Though there wasn't fierce and serious competition in these Games, they have assured a bright future in their sports career.

Even in the absence of shooting and archery, which are considered hunting grounds for Indian athletes, the Indian contingent still managed to win 61 medals including 22 gold medals, 16 silver and 23 bronze medals. The major share of this achievement was largely contributed by the power games like wrestling, weightlifting, and boxing.

There was a surprise gold medal in lawn bowling which is an unknown sport for Indian fans.

WEIGHTLIFTING

This is just the beginning - Achinta Sheuli 

Inspired by the golden achievement of an Olympic silver medalist Mirabai Chanu, debutant players like Sanket, Jeremy, Achinta Sheuli, Lovepreet Singh, Gurdeep Singh, and Bindyarani Devi didn't show any nervousness or mental pressure before achieving medals. Most of these players have gone through struggles while making a career in sports.