BIRMINGHAM: After the Tokyo Olympics, where India won seven unprecedented medals, the expectations of the country’s 2022 Commonwealth Games contingent were naturally high.
Traditionally, India wins truckloads of medals at the CWG. Before Birmingham 2022, there was an expectation of medals, but not a deluge.
The absence of shooting, a sport in which India dominates in the CWG stage, meant that the general perception was that the final medal tally would drop dramatically.
Neeraj Chopra, star javelin thrower, ruled out due to a groin injury just two days before the opening ceremony, was a huge damper. In India, enthusiasm for the Games had diminished slightly.
In 2018, India’s 66-medal tally had 16 medals, seven of which were gold. Many thought it would be difficult for India to cross the 50 medal milestone in Birmingham 2022.
The Indian contingent in Birmingham, however, had other thoughts. The shooters, wrestlers, canoeists, boxers, lifters, shuttles, judokas, track and field athletes, and not to forget the Lawn Bowls men’s and women’s team, who raised the bar and brought glory to the country , as India ended 2022 CWG with a haul of 61 medals, 22 of which were gold.
The behemoth started rolling when he lifted Sanket Sargar, who hails from Sangli, Maharashtra, took silver in the men’s 55kg category. In fact, Sargar suffered a serious elbow injury during his lifts and was seen on the podium with his right arm in a sling.
The first of his final tally of 22 India gold medals coincided with this corresponding landing in Birmingham. Mirabai Chanu, the leader of the Indian lifting group, lifted a total weight of 201 kg as if he were lifting shopping bags.
Inspired by Mirabai and supported by his “inspiration” from the stands, Jeremy Lalrinnunga took another gold in the lift the very next day. Late in the evening, Achinta Sheuli made sure the gold streak in the weightlifting room continued.
On August 1, the action moved to Coventry, a city 30 miles from Birmingham. Judoka Shushila LikmabamThe silver was seen just in time after a quick commute on the West Midlands train and later on a shuttle bus.
Another judoka, Vijay Kumar Yadav, got a bronze right after Shushila’s award ceremony. Having rarely covered judo, the terms “Ippon”, “Waza” were new, but Indian head judo coach Jiwan Sharma was kind enough to give a quick mastering lesson.
August 2 was historic. The day before was a shock for the traveling Indian media contingent. Who knew about Lawn Bowls sport? Answer: None. When Lovely Choubey, Pinki Singh, Rupa Rani Tirkey and Nayanmoni Saikia reached the final of the four women’s team event at Royal Leamington Spa’s picturesque Victoria Park, there was a mad rush among reporters to inquire about the rules first, regulations, history, previous performances, then give the information the form of words. Sport, in essence, represents a long-standing remnant of the British Empire, but Indian women were nothing short of exceptional. In the final, they recorded a comeback win over their much-imagined South African rivals to give India historic gold.
The lifters continued their good show. Vikas Thakur, after winning silver, and Lovepreet Singh, after bronze, showed respect for their “favorite singer” Sidhu Moosewala by giving the “high five” – a signature of the now murdered Punjabi singer.
The men’s team table tennis gold was shaped by G Sathiyan and Harmeet Desai. Both players won their respective singles and then combined for the doubles triumph.
In badminton, mixed-team silver was not the medal the shuttles had imprinted on their minds. PV Sindhu was visibly unhappy when gold slipped from India’s hands. Kidambi Srikanth had tears in her eyes, despite the silver.
Tejaswin Shankar gave India its first medal in athletics, a bronze in high jump. After all the troubles she had to endure before the Games for numerous off-screen reasons, a bronze was worth as much as gold. It was also India’s first ever CWG medalist in high jump.
Murali Sreeshankar did better by taking a silver in the long jump. He could have won gold, but a thin 1cm margin missed the top spot.
Tulika Maan gave India another silver in judo. The 23-year-old, whose father was murdered when she was two and was raised by her mother who is now an ASI in the Delhi police, was inconsolable after losing her last encounter with her.
The medals rained on August 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th. All 12 wrestlers, who flew to Birmingham, won medals at the Games. Ravi Dahiya, Bajrang Punia, Deepak Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Naveen Sihag and Sakshi Malik won gold, while Anshu Malik took silver. The five bronze winners were Pooja Gehlot, Pooja SihagDeepak Nehra, Divya Kakran and Mohit Grewal.
From the Alexander Stadium track and field, Avinash Sable made sure there wasn’t another 1-2-3 in Kenya in the 3000m steeplechase at CWG. In a heroic performance, Sable managed to push the eventual gold medal to the post before winning the silver.
Priyanka Gosvami he also finished second for a silver in the women’s 10,000m walk.
But the cake definitely went to triple jumpers Eldhose Paul and Abdulla Aboobacker. The two Malaysians scored the 1-2, gold-silver in the event in an unprecedented result for Indian athletics.
It was a walk in the ring for the three gold medal boxers. Nitu Ghanghas, Amit Panghal and Nikhat Zareen hardly sweat during their march to gold. Sagar Ahlawat he couldn’t add a fourth boxing gold and settled for silver. Mohammad Hussamuddin, Jaismine Lamboria and Rohit Tokas returned with a bronze each.
TT legend Sharath KamalHis stock grew further when he won three golds and one silver during the Games. This included the men’s singles title after 16 years on the final day.
On 8 August, the last day of the Games, the shuttles had a field day. PV Sindhu got a gold in the women’s singles final. Despite playing with a left ankle strap, Sindhu recorded a massive victory in just 48 minutes. Lakshya Sen then gave the country another gold with a stunning victory over his Malaysian opponent. Finally, the pair of doubles men Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won India’s third badminton gold of the Games.
The silver medals of the women’s cricket team and the men’s hockey team – both lost in the final to Australia – were also the highest points of the Games for India.
So as we say goodbye to CWG 2022 and look forward to the next four years later in Victoria, Australia, it’s all over from Birmingham.
