The gold club: India’s hottest CWG prospects

BEST AMONG BEST A look at Indians who Hindustan Times thinks can bag gold at the quadrennial event which gets underway in Gold Coast today

(WOMEN’S 45-48 KG BOXING)

The five-time world champion and London Olympic Games bronze medallist is the favourite in her category. Though at 35, she is the oldest competitor in the draw, Mary Kom has the extra motivation to go for gold as she could not participate in 2014 Glasgow and will be making her debut here. She won the Asian title last year. He won gold at Strandja Memo orialoria in Bulgaria in February where he wasw also a so adjudged best boxer. He is in g ood form to go all the way. A quarterfinalist t at Rio Olympics, the 26-year-old from m Haryana has consistently reached the quarte er-finals and pre-quarterfinals in major tour naments like Olympics and World Champion nships.

India’’s best bet for gold. The 31-year-old has performperformed consistently in World and Asian Championshipps since winninwinning gold in New Delhi 2010, reaching thet prepre-quarter-quarte finals in last year’s World Champioonshipsonships and lastla year’s Olympics. (WOMEN’S 60KG BOXING)

The 2006 World Championship winner bagged silver at Glasgow Commoonwealthonweath Games in 2014 and clinched silver in the recent Asian Championship in

Thailand.

She is the first Indian woman boxxer to turn professional, though she participates in amateur section totoo.

WOMEN’S 62KG WRESTLING

A move up the weight category should not be much of a problem for the Rio Olympic bronze medallist in 58kg, who won silver in Glasgow four years ago. She is the Commonewealth Championship winner and has also done well in the Asian Championship last year. WOMEN’S 48KG WEIGHTLIFTING

Trained by the legendary weightlifter Kunjarani Devi, the 23-year-old pocket-sized dynamo is likely to win India’s first gold medal at Gold Coast as her event will be held on the first day of competition on April 5. She is the reigning World champion in her category, bagging the title at Anahiem, USA, last year and also holds the Commonwealth record. ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS Ranked third in the world in the lastest rankings, the Rio Olympics silver medallist will be the top seed and India’s best bet in women’s singles considering the recent indifferent form of her senior Saina Nehwal. Sindhu had a minor injury scare a fortnight back but seems to have recovered and is raring to go. Being the flagbearer of the contingent will give a boost before the competition starts.

Srikanth is ranked second in the world after capping a remarkable 2017 where he won four Superseries titles, the only Indian to achieve the feat. The 25-year-old won Indonesia, Australia, Denmark and French Open titles and came close to becoming the world No 1 before pulling out of the China Open. Kenya’s Julius Yego won gold in 2014 with 83.87m while Neeraj’s best this season is 85.94m.

Neeraj has a good chance of winning gold. He has consistently crossed 80m since last year and is improving. 10M AIR PISTOL

Her wins in senior and junior World Cups have elevated the 16-year-old from Haryana to the status of India’s best upcoming shooter. The competition is likely to be tough, but Manu is unlikely to be affected by pressure of participating in her first multi-sport event. (MEN’S 10M AIR PISTOL

AND 50M PISTOL)

The defending champion in

10m air pistol, Jitu had reached the final in Rio Olympics. Considering the competition has not changed much since Glasgow, Jitu should retain his gold and should also add the 50m gold to his kitty, something he couldn’t do in Glasgow. (MEN’S 25M RAPID FIRE PISTOL) Medals in the Junior World Championship and Junior World Cup in Sydney last month seem to have given him the confidence to go all out in Gold Coast. A good performance in the World Cup in Mexico proves the 15-year-old is ready to take on the seniors and make it count. ((10M10M AIRAIR RIFLE)RIFLE)

Mehulimehuli wonwon bronzebronze atat thethe World Cupcup inin Guadalajaraguadalajara ((Mexico)mexico) aa fewfew weeksweeks back.back. Sheshe wonwon twotwo bronze medalsmedals inin thethe Worldworld Cupcup in Guadalajaraguadalajara inin 20172017 andand has shownshown lotlot ofof improvementimprovement in recentrecent times.times. Withwith thethe competitioncompetition inin Goldgold Coastcoast a lotlot weakerweaker thanthan thethe World

Cup,cup, Mehulimehuli shouldshould prevailprevail overover thethe field.field.

MEN’S 75KG BOXING MEN’S 69KG BOXING

Along with Mary Kom, he is India’ TISTICSTC GYMNASTGYMNASTICSCS

In all likelihood, the duo should be able to repeat the Glasgow gold-medal feat four years ago. Both are ranked in the top 20 in PSA World Rankings and have the experience and coordination that should help them defend the title. The bespectacled Horton is the reigning Olympic 400m freestyle champ and is also slated to go in the 200m and 1,500m here. The 21-year-old faces competition in 200m from teammate Kyle Chalmers, the Olympic winner in the 100m freestyle. The eight-time world champion is entering a competition where she is not a favourite. She is ranked third in women’s singles behind England’s Laura Massaro and Kiwi Joelle King, but has been in Australia for about two weeks finalising her preparations.