CWG 2022: Neeraj Chopra's heroics inspired young athletes' medal rush

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.

Read AlsoCommonwealth Games 2022: India's haul of fame in Birmingham

Traditionally, India wins truckloads of medals at the CWG. Before Birmingham 2022, anticipation of medals was there, but not a deluge. The absence of shooting, a sport where India dominates at the CWG stage, meant the general perception was that the final medal tally will drop drastically.

Be it Paul, who went past the 17m for the first time in his life to clinch the triple jump gold, or Avinash Sable, who ended the Kenyans monopoly, Indian athletes have shown the world a glimpse of their talent. There were others who failed to deliver but, thankfully, the young stars, including the likes of national record holder Jyothi Yarraji and walker Priyanka Goswami, who excelled at Birmingham Games, were keen on bettering their best performances. Another takeaway from the Games was the increasing stature of India's male athletes. So much so that the Indian women won just two of the country's medals through Priyanka (silver, 10,000m race walk)