CWG 2022: India's big strengths and how absence of shooting is likely to dent overall medal count

After a record breaking performance at the Tokyo Olympics last year, where they won an unprecedented seven medals including an individual gold by javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, the Indian contingent will be looking to outstrip its performance in the last edition of CWG in the Gold Coast, Australia. India finished third on the medal tally in 2018, behind Australia and England, in 2018 with 66 medals including 26 gold. But their best ever showing at the Games remains the exploits in the home edition in 2010.

Indian athletes won a record breaking 101 medals in Delhi to finish above England in the standings, second only to sporting powerhouse Australia. That medal haul included an unprecedented 38 gold medals. The current Indian contingent looks confident to better the performance of the last edition, but can they surpass the 2010 success or even come close to it? It is a hard question to answer at this moment.

The fans and well-wishers will be optimistic, but 101 medals is a tough figure to breach, especially after the exclusion of shooting events and archery in Birmingham. India's rise at CWG - a brief historyIndependent India (post 1947) has missed just three editions of CWG till date -- the 1950 edition in Auckland (New Zealand), 1962 in Perth (Australia) and 1986 in Edinburg (Scotland). And from returning medal-less from the 1954 edition in Vancouver (Canada) to finishing second in 2010 (Delhi CWG), India have come a long way in this quadrennial sporting extravaganza.