Commonwealth Games 2022: Sable Soars, Paul Leaps, Sharath Sizzles To Script India's Success Story

09.08.2022 - 11:33 sports.ndtv.com

Slipping out of the usual top-five was seen as a real possibility in absence of shooting but phenomenal success in athletics and lawn bowls propelled India to a commendable fourth place finish at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games.

About 25 percent of India's 66 medals came from the shooting range in the previous edition and not many believed that India will be able to touch even 50 but the country ended up with 61, courtesy unprecedented success in track and field events that delivered eight medals, the highest for India in a CWG edition overseas.

It indeed, was a big success story from the Birmingham Games. Eldhose Paul and Abdullah Aboobacker's rare 1-2 finish in triple jump will be cherished for long.

Avinash Sable's silver in the 3000m steeplechase and Tejaswin Shankar's bronze in the high jump were also a first for India while Murali Sreeshankar's silver in the long jump was the country's first since 1978.

athletics wrestling weightlifting Neeraj Chopra Murali Sreeshankar India Birmingham county Park Sandeep

Young Indian athletes to the fore at CWGBENGALURU: A series of superb performances by the Indian jumpers, led by triple jumpers Eldhose Paul and Abdulla Aboobacker and middle distance runner Avinash Sable, powered India to the 12th spot in the athletics medals table, sixth by total, and made sure that the absence of Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra was not a big talking point. As an India team coach put it on the eve of the Games, Chopra's triumph in Tokyo galvanised a few Indian athletes and also broke the mental barrier of the legendary one hundredth of a second agony suffered by Milkha Singh and PT Usha. Instead, these athletes found that extra ounce of energy to peak at the right time and to produce their personal bests.

Commonwealth Games 2022: India's haul of fame in Birmingham

CWG medal rush is another step in the right direction after the high of Tokyo OlympicsBIRMINGHAM: After the Tokyo Olympics, where India won an unprecedented seven medals, expectations from the country's 2022 Commonwealth Games contingent were naturally high. Traditionally, India wins truckloads of medals at the CWG. Before Birmingham 2022, anticipation of medals was there, but not a deluge.

CWG 2022: Sable soars, Paul leaps, Sharath sizzles to script India's success story

Neeraj Chopra Congratulates Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem On Winning Commonwealth Games Javelin Throw Gold

Arshad Nadeem gave Pakistan its first javelin throw gold with a Commonwealth Games record mark of 90.18m. With the feat, Arshad, who was wearing a strapping around his right arm, beat Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra's Tokyo Olympic throw of 87.58m, which helped him win gold, and the World Athletics Championship throw of 88.13m, which helped the Indian athlete win silver. Neeraj had to pull out of the Commonwealth Games due to an injury which he suffered during the recently-concluded World Athletics Championships. Arshad beat a field that had two-time world champion Anderson Peters.

Commonwealth Games: Javelin Thrower Annu Rani Wins Bronze

Annu Rani became the first Indian female javelin thrower to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games on the penultimate day on Sunday. Rani sent the spear to a distance of 60m in her fourth attempt to win a bronze medal for the country.

CWG 2022: Steeplechaser Sable, Race Walker Priyanka Clinch Silver Medals

Avinash Sable broke his own national record to win a silver in the men's 3000m steeplechase while Priyanka Goswami also clinched a medal of the same hue in the women's 10,000m race walk on a productive day for India in the Commonwealth Games athletics competition here on Saturday. Goswami also scripted history as she became the first Indian woman to win a medal in race walk with a silver in 10,000m event. With the two silver, the Indian athletics team's medal count swelled to four and it has already gone past the number in 2018 Gold Coast where the country had won a gold, silver and bronze each in track and field.