BackThe potential go-getters
The potential go-getters
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THE BEST SHOT
Gagan Narang, 26
Shooting
The only Indian to shoot a perfect 600/600, Gagan Narang was the first to be
The Melbourne Commonwealth Games quadruple gold medallist from Hyderabad believes that in shooting “one competes against oneself". He is known for his speed, but it’s his even temper that is likely to help him clinch a medal. For the Olympics, Narang isn’t experimenting with strategy or training. “The Olympics is the ultimate sports event, but for shooters, the world championships are equally big. I am preparing the way I would for any tournament," he says.
- Shruti Chakraborty
SHUTTLING TO FAME
Anup Sridhar, 25
Badminton
He hit the world’s hardest recorded smash at the 2007 World Badminton
Sridhar believes his toughest competitor is going to be Lin Dan from China. “He is a fantastic all-round player, but we had a very close match the last couple of times we met (at the World Championships in 2007 and the All England Championships earlier this year)."
- Pavitra Jayaraman
SPEED STROKES
Virdhawal Khade, 16
Swimming
Earlier in July, Virdhawal Khade returned to Bangalore after breaking Sebastian
Khade has been training rigorously under coach Nihar Ameen for the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle events in Beijing. “Veer", as his friends call him, grew up in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, but shifted to Bangalore two years ago to focus on his swimming.
The journey from Kolhapur to Beijing, the teenager says, has been anything but overwhelming: “It has felt quite natural so far. Swimming has taught me how to be adaptable, to be in touch with my body and mind, and not to be concerned with what others are doing."
- Pavitra Jayaraman
FAST GEAR
Sandeep Sejwal, 18
Swimming
Cricket is one of his favourite sports, and his favourite sporting moment was when
As he trains in Florida, Sejwal says that although the training drill is the same for all events, the stakes are much higher when it’s the Olympics. “I am more focused and ready to give my best, and I look forward to swimming in the biggest pool in the world," says Sejwal. The fact that the St Stephen’s student is the first Indian breaststroke swimmer to qualify for the Olympic Games also underscores that India still has a long way to go.
- Pavitra Jayaraman
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