The 2022 edition of the Commonwealth Games kicked off in Birmingham on Thursday. This year, as many as 215 Indian athletes will take part in 19 different sports. In the last edition of the games, India won 66 medals, but this time it will get a bit tough to match that tally, particularly in the absence of shooting. India won 16 medals in shooting last time, but this year the sport has been dropped.
Apart from that, a few superstars like Tokyo Olympics Gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, six-time world champion and defending Gold medallist MC Mary Kom and two-time Gold medallist Saina Nehwal will miss the event because of injury and other related issues. But then too, there are a few players who will start as favourites for the top position. Here's a look at the top five Indian athletes competing in the 2022 games.
PV SINDHU (Badminton)
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu will hope to win her maiden Gold medal in women's singles this year. In the 2018 edition, she lost to Saina Nehwal in the Gold medal match. But this time, in Saina's absence, she will be India's biggest medal hope in women's badminton. She has recently won the Singapore Open tournament and is in the seventh position in the world rankings.
MIRABAI CHANU (Weightlifting)
Star Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu will hope to win another Gold medal in the CWG this year. She won Silver at the 2014 Glasgow Games and Gold at the 2018 Gold Coast Games. The 27-year-old Manipuri athlete created history in Tokyo last year when she became the first Indian weightlifter to win a Silver medal in the Olympics. There will be high hopes from the ace weightlifter, and she'll look to maintain her numero uno status.
LOVLINA BORGOHAIN (Boxing)
Like Sindhu and Mirabai, Lovlina also won a medal at the Tokyo Olympics last year. The 24-year-old from Assam won a Bronze medal in the women's 69kg category. In the previous edition of the CWG, Lovlina lost in the quarterfinals to eventual Gold winner Sandy Ryan of England, but this year, she will start as one of the favourites for the top place finish.
RAVI DAHIYA (Wrestling)
Freestyle wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya surprised one and all when he defied all odds to win the Silver medal at the Olympics last year. He lost the Gold medal match in the 57kg category against ROC wrestler Zaur Uguev to settle for a second-place finish. In his maiden CWG this year, he will start as the favourite for the Gold medal. The 24-year-old is one of the best wrestlers in the country and there will be high hopes from him after his spectacular display in Tokyo.
MANIKA BATRA (Table Tennis)
Manika Batra won a total of four medals in the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She won the top prize in women's singles and women's team events apart from winning a Bronze in mixed doubles and settling for Silver in women's doubles. The 27-year-old from Delhi defeated world number 4 Feng Tianwei as well as Zhou Yihan in India's 3-1 win in the women's team event final against Singapore and also became the first Indian female paddler to win an individual Gold medal in the CWG. This year, she will again be the favourite to retain her title.